Rating: Summary: Not Another One Of THOSE Types Of Movie Review: You surely know what to expect in a film that is billed as a comedy by some critics and others as a "story about loneliness". Others here talk about the Japanese scenery being important. Still others about how "clever", "slow-burning" and "well written" it is.You should know by now that these descriptions mean that the film will be one thing, dull dull dull. And this is. I nearly fell into a coma of boredom in the cinema. No, I dont like Murrays caddyshack performace before some bright spark accuses me of only liking that type of comedy and not understanding the depth of this type of film. The truth people, is that this type of film is the type that thinks it is really clever, and the people who made it are very very pleased with themselves. In reality is is dull and vacuous and can be filed with other critic hailed "classics" that are in reality dull and anally retentive; Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums. Up to you, you can spend a couple of hours watching this, or going to the dentist. Though the latter would be more exciting!
Rating: Summary: Overrated and disjointed Review: This film has been widely-praised, but it didn't come off for me: the heavy atmosphere in the immense hotel was well caught, but the director didn't seem to know what she was going for as there were the two other disjoined elements: the dreamy travelogue bits with Scarlett Johansson wandering around Tokyo, and the predictable Bill-Murray-pratfall scenes on the exercise machine and with the chubby masseuse. The relationship with the stooge husband (Giovanni Ribisi) was unexplored and simply not credible to me, while the very old gag of a foreigner speaking for several minutes and the translator deciphering it in one sentence should really have been left on the cutting-room floor. In fact there were too many scenes of Japanese people speaking Japanese for comic purposes - which is unfunny and a tad racist at the end of the day. The cheesy underbelly of Tokyo, with repellent arcades and interminable karaoke sessions were just boring - and no better (to me anyway) than the superficial gatherings in the hotel with the bimbo actress which they were presumably supposed to stand against in stark relief. I can't undertand why the leads' performances have been praised (and nominated for Oscars, believe it or not), as Bill Murray in particular doesn't really do anything that he hasn't done in other films: the usual stony impassiveness, dry timing and carefully scripted asides were just the same as in Ghostbusters nearly 20 years ago. Scarlett Johansson is fine, but Girl With A Pearl Earring is in a different class, as a performance and film.
Rating: Summary: Scarlett Johansson is Simply Great on Here. Review: I saw this movie at the CineMark Cinema, and Lost in Translation is really an awesome film that talks about finding love, and about being Lost in Translation when one does not know the language the natives speak. It definitely is a challenge. Bob Harris is played by (Bill Murray), and he is an actor of films but while in Japan he is doing Wine/Whisky commericials in where this Japanese Company has given him a contract worth 2 million dollars. Bob Harris feels alone, but it really is not the issue that he does not know the language that makes him depressed throughout the whole movie, but they are various things that get him to be the way he is. First, His marriage is not going to well, & his wife wants to spend more time fixing the house, and to be with the kids a whole lot more as compared to having quality time with Bob Harris. Same thing with Charlotte who is played by (Scarlett Johansson); She too has a big void in her life when it comes to her sphere of marriage. Her husband is not very loving toward her. Instead he is more focused on his photography and also focused on a American Actress ( played by Anna Farris) who does action films and who is in Japan promoting her work. So, Bob Harris and Charlotte fall in love with each other or say become attached at first, but then their feelings change more to the sphere of love, but they realize that it simply cannot work for the both of them because both are married individuals. The final scenes between (Bob Harris, and Charlotte) are simply beautiful: Bob Kisses, and gives a loving hug to Charlotte, and then he departs from her forever(leaves to America) while Charlotte stays in Japan with her Husband Photographer. Two Americans who do not have love in their their private lives, but whom find(love) it while being in the country of Japan. Lost in Translation is really a nice romantic movie.Its simplicity makes it blossom. Scarlett Johansson is simply a nice looking gal to look at on here, & her acting is just excellent. The background music really adds life To the movie as well. The music is performed by Kevin Shields. Great Beginning, Great middle and great ending...I recommend Lost in Translation to you. We all want to find True Love.
Rating: Summary: My favorite film of 2003 Review: "Lost in Translation" is not for everyone. If you're looking for a "Caddyshack" style performance from Bill Murray, you won't find it here. Don't get me wrong, "Caddyshack" is a great film and Murray is fantastic in it, but "Lost" is a completely different film altogether. Sofia Coppola avoids the sophomore slump by crafting a slow burn of a story that slowly draws the audience into the world of two characters who are simply aching for some sort of connection. Murray's Bob Harris has come to endorse a whiskey for a tidy amount of yen, and Scarlett Johansson's Charlotte (in another brilliant performance from this promising young star) has come with her hipster photographer husband, hoping to spend some time with him. But both characters find themselves totally alone in the vastly different world of Tokyo, and I don't mean simply the language barrier, I'm talking about the cultural walls that are in place. Japan is not American-friendly, and though it may not be by choice, to be totally alone in a country so different from your own can cause feelings of intense isolation. In "Lost in Translation" we see these feelings onscreen, and the path these characters take and how they change their lives with each other's help is astonishing. Little moments shine, such as the patting of a foot, or an awkward moment during a fire drill, or the hilarious scenes that come out of some harmless jabbing at Japanese culture. Come on kids, they do it to us all the time. I've been there, and it's fun to poke fun. So lighten up everyone, go in expecting something different and let the movie take you. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: 4.8/5 stars! A True Modern-Day Neorealist Love Story Review: Well, I'm not going to reiterate what this film is about. But I will defend this film to those who gave it VERY low ratings. Miss Coppola made a film that serves as an homage to the high Neorealism films of Italy. "Lost in Translation" evokes emotions without forcing tears, anger, happiness, etc. Minimalist in nature, yet rich in content. Modern audiences are too used to movies that tell us when to cry or when to be happy. Coppola trusts the audience. This film teaches audiences how to truly watch a film. In my opinion, I think it's cheap to zoom in on a tear to cue the audience to feel sad with the actor. It's more difficult for a director to let a camera sit and watch a character, examine them, and just by subtle gestures, we begin to realize the depth of that character. Ever looked out the window on a bus stop? People sit and wait, and just by looking at them, we know exactly what they're feeling. The only thing I had a problem with was the use of Anna Faris. Though humorous, I felt she could have played a character who really acted like a serious actress. I felt she knew she was playing a bimbo and made sure the camera captured it. I thought it would have been more effective had she believed she really was a real actress. Nevertheless, this film will remain timeless. It's a proud film to follow Scarlett Johanssen for the rest of her career, a great performance that Bill Murray will be remembered for, and an extraordinary feat by Sofia Coppola. This film could have been formulaic: young girl meets older gent. Fall into a mad affair, beautiful love scenes, and a dreamy goodbye. But no. Coppola doesn't want to cheat the audience. "Lost in Translation" is an experience. It's quiet sadness, quiet love, and quiet goodbyes; a demonstration of a real love story.
Rating: Summary: Rubbish. Review: To repeat what many have said already, what is the big deal about this movie? You mean the people in Japan do not speak English? Wow, was that supposed to be surprising (or even remotely funny)? Oh, and if there was one more "Asians get confused with R's and L's" joke I think I'd kill myself. Furthermore, I do not buy this "great acting nonsense." Bill Murray was not displaying "great acting." He was just being himself. In real life, Murray is actually a depressed loner type of individual. He is not some happy go luck fellow. The movies where he is actually funny are the ones in which he is acting. By the way, does it qualify as good acting is all you need to do is sigh and gaze out of windows? Do not believe the hype. This movie was a waste of time. It became an exercise in willpower to see if I could actually finish it. All the praise handed over to Coppola is out of pure nepotism. She is riding on the coattails of her father. Terribly dull, boring and plotless movie filled with dull, boring and unsympathetic characters. They are bored and isolated in Japan only because they choose so! There is plenty to do in Japan. The only way to be bored in that situation is if you are a boring person. Safe you money and your time...
Rating: Summary: RACIST GARBAGE!! THIS FILM IS WACK Review: (I had to put a minimum of 1 star to get published, but I really would like to vote negative zero)To the people who are raving about this movie, what are you smoking?I'm sure none of you are Asian.this film is mediocre in terms of plot and acting and it insults a whole country. The Japanese are all depicted as morons because they don't speak enough English...hello! This is in Japan. the boring stupid white people don't even try to speak Japanese.If I were in Japan for a week I would find much better things to do than sit in a hotel bar listening to an ugly lounge singer. This film is not even up to the level of most student films I have seen. I guess it pays to have an influential parent in Hollywood.
Rating: Summary: Lonely yet entertaining. Definitely not for everyone. Review: I saw this film in the theater with my wife and we both enjoyed it. Its one major flaw was a few long, dull scenes. Having lived in Japan for over a year I can say it's very accurate how you might experience the country for the first time, and I am very impressed that the director mirrored my experiences so well. My wife who hasn't been to Japan left with the impression of how foreign and unwelcoming it is, because the director really did a good job of creating the feeling she wanted. However, the characters in the movie are not tourists per se, and are not really exploring Japan, just dealing with their own personal crises. If you go as an eager traveler with open eyes, you will have a different attitude. As they say, "Wherever you go, there you are." I am sure the movie won't resonate with everyone, because it doesn't explain the nuances of--for example--foreign travel. One angry reviewer wrote complained about the characters with "insomnia"--obviously missing the basic fact that the characters in the movie had jet lag throughout the whole movie. The story between the two main characters is not your conventional love story, but it does have a bit of comedy and a lot of loneliness. I thought it was more true and realistic than the typical Big Fat Greek Wedding, showing two people drawn to each other because of their own difficult situations, though they are obviously not "soul mates". I'm impressed with Bill Murray's acting in this movie.
Rating: Summary: Beautiful mood piece for those interested Review: Now that I have seen it, the hoopla surrounding this movie is quite interesting. This is not a mainstream movie by any stretch of the imagination. Some people think that any movie with such a description is for film snobs only. Whatever, but I don't think you have to be a film snob to be affected by "Lost In Translation". You just need to appreciate the concept of a time, place, and a combination of people. That is basically what the movie is. There's no trajectory to the plot, really. It just takes you through a few days and nights in modern Japan, with two different people from different generations yet with complementary mental states. Either the viewer is with these people or s/he is not. That's why I am surprised by its success, because I wouldn't think that many people would care. I think they only really care about Bill Murray, and want to laugh. Most of those people will be disappointed. It doesn't mean they can't appreciate a good movie, it just means they aren't in it for the short ride. I'm sure that if many of those people revisit the film in 10 or 20 years, they might think differently. And that is always the true test of a great film. I am looking forward to seeing if it holds up over time. But not for nothing, at least try to enjoy two of the years best performances on film. Young Scarlett deserves just as much attention as Bill does. Her pitch was perfect all throughout, just the way I would have wanted it if I were the director. And I for one thought the ending was just right. I would have been tempted to go for a more sentimental conclusion, but this one is very moving nonetheless. Another reason why I liked this movie so much is because it sort of reminds me of my favorite film, "Midnight Cowboy". That hardly ever happens. It's interesting to see it in a modern context with different dynamics, though the basic themes of loneliness and redemption through human contact are there. To express those themes this eloquently does not happen often on film. This is truly a work of art.
Rating: Summary: lost is right ! Review: this movie started out funny enough-- maybe the frst ten minutes - but once the non existent plot kicks in its all downhill fast-- getting more embarassingly bad every second--- all the japanese are made to look ridiculous -- none of the roles are fleshed out at all except the leads--plot details-- his forgetting his sons birthday-- all ridiculous ploys that are paper thin excuses for script writing---the cardboard shallowness of her husband the busy photographer- who leaves the cynical and depressed wife-- (all of a sudden this actress is a star ! ) she seems to act with her pouty lips and ample bosom as much as anything else she might be in possession of--but who would know with this drek of a script--- even bill murray spouting immature dialogue embarasses himself-- by the end of this over rated nonsense-- with a final scene that was the most embarassing conceit imaginable him jumping out of a cab chasing her thru a crowd to kiss her -- yer so glad its over -- but still dumbstruck how this immature plotless waste of celluloid time and money won any praise at all--isnt it all really a freudian thing about this spoiled brat rich girl daughter of a great director seeking his approval and attention w bill murray as papas stand in ??? the cinematography is good- its kinda nicely filmed --nice to look at--but thats it--- dont believe the hype- everything else about it stinks !
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