Rating: 
Summary: A cinematic treasure worth every minute
Review: A friend asked me what the story in this movie was and, as I tried to tell her I realized how dull it might appear. This movie is very contemplative, it relies a lot on the spectator bonding with the characters, a thing that takes time to achieve. I remember thinking it was a good thing I was seeing this movie it in the theatre, as opposed to DVD/VHS; some parts seemed slow enough to tempt to hit fast-forward. Don't; they are as essential as any other part in that movie; they helped relate to the characters on an emotional level that made the movie so incredibly rewarding in the end. I would say that as the two charactes develop their relatiopnship, so does the viewer with the movie; in the end you might find yourself completely enamored with it.
I think this is a movie about many things: interpersonal communication, the feeling of alienation or the need to belong, the relativity of an individual's perceived value according to the circumstances. Had the characters met in LA instead of Tokio, maybe none would have paid attention to the other.
In my opinion, "Lost in Translation" analyzes the most precious type of relationship: simple human affection based on honest communication, no other instincts, biases or interests attached, and the story is told in the most delicate, subtle way, the precius style of true cinema.
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING MOVIE--not a "comedy"
Review: This film has been somewhat misadvertised in order to get mainstream audiences into the theatre and into the movie stores, and many of the ads try to stamp this movie as a "Bill Murray Comedy." If you rent or buy this DVD with the intention of viewing "What About Bob in Japan" you will surely be dissapointed. "Lost in Translation" is a dramatic and realistic take on loneliness and the brief yet powerful connections we can make in unexpected moments of our lives. It is not a manipulative film; rather, the camera will sit in on a scene and let you eavesdrop on these people when they are alone or with others. The film asks you to become invested enough to pay attention to everything, from facial expressions, to character psychology, to the kaleidiscope of scenes and situations, to the symbolism of the dialogue. This is a very SUBTLE film, and requires the utmost attention and respect when viewing. BUT-if you can give it that respect and investment, you will walk away completely rewarded and satisfied, as this is true movie making of the highest order. The emotions, the colors, the cinematography, the moody music, the ebb and flow vibe of the film itself. And finally, the comedy: yes, there is comedy, and it is funny, but please be forewarned that it takes a second seat to the characters and the atmosphere. All of this mixed together with the FANTASTIC acting of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson (watch her facial expressions at all times), and you have a film that is more an experience than a movie. Just remember: although this film is incredible, it cannot be watched in every situation. You will most likely not enjoy the movie if (a) you invite a bunch of friends over to drink and watch a funny film, or (b)you throw it in the player because there's nothing else to do and only half pay attention to it. The ideal way to view a film as subtle and atmospheric as this is to watch it with someone you care about or with people whom you know are patient enough to make the investment. Make sure there are no distractions around, sit back, dim the lights, and watch this film with unexpecting eyes.NOTE: DVD extras are okay; watch "Lost on Location" which is simply a home video of the day-by-day shooting and shows Bill Murray being Bill Murray behind the scenes-which is a really good thing.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait..... what????
Review: This has to have been one of the worst movies I have yet to suffer through. Zero plot. The attempt to portray two lost (pun intended) individuals searching for meaning in their lives falls far short, resulting instead in a tiresome and altogether disjointed film. Finally, the movie's portrayal of Tokyo life must have left travel agents fuming.
Rating: 
Summary: Unique, likeable movie, lousy DVD
Review: By now, I am certain that everyone knows the "plot summary." Essentially Bill Murray, a washed-up actor doing tiresome whiskey endorsements in Japan, forms a unlikely frienship with an equally disaffect recent college graduate/bored wife in Scarlett Johanson. The movie does not particularly progress from here, other than to try to offer up a "slice of life" as these two sometimes hang out, other times don't, in a strange land. The film is carried by a spot-on Bill Murray, who could not look more weary and subtley sarcastic in this film, the charismatic Scarlett Johansson, and the sensory overload of Tokyo itself. Tokyo provides a lot of material for Murray and Johansson to work off of, and they do it well. Though you do not laugh out loud much, the movie does enjoy a great chuckling sense of humor throughout, and a genuine heart in the shared emptyness of Murray and Johansson contrasted with the pounding insistence of Tokyo. There is no true plot, just a slight joy in sharing this unusual experience with the characters. Not everyone will like this movie, and if you choose not to invest yourself in the characters, you will bored senseless. But it is a film that can be rewarding. So it was packaging in a sterling example of "what not to do on a DVD." 1. Do NOT force people to watch previews (though an onscreen message says you can fast forward through, pressing "MENU" in fruitless. If they are reminded people they can fast forward, they obviously know we don't care about the previews, right? So why torment us?). 2. Please, for the love of God, put some real special features on there. Deleted scenes RARELY are interesting, and the vast majority of the time shoudl have remained so. So, 4 out of 5 stars for the film, 2 out of 5 for the DVD. Thus, 3 out of 5.
Rating:
Summary: Bill Murray's Triumphant Comeback
Review: "Lost In Translation" is one of the greatest releases of 2003 starring Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, and Giovanni Ribisi. It deservingly garnered three Golden Globe wins (Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay) and four Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay). Its plot of an American actor popular in the 1970's who finds peace in Japan is brilliant and original. The emotional aspects are heavily present, namely Bob Harris (Murray) being away from his family and Charlotte (Johansson) becoming increasingly lonely due to her husband not being present often. The combination of the two storylines come together smoothly, especially when the two characters become soulmates. The dramatic aspects keep audience interested in every moment. Such movie quality marks director Sofia Coppola at her career best so far. Bill Murray marks a triumphant comeback in this movie. Though well known as a comedian, he shines in this dramatic role. No other actor could have performed his role better. Scarlett Johansson marks a brilliant career launcher in her role. She proves that she'll continue becomine well-known as a wonderful actress in the future. "Lost In Translation" is great for those looking for an original drama. Because of the immense movie depth, audiences may have to watch this multiple times to catch every detail. Afterwards, many will be glad they did.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm lost......translation puhleez!
Review: Frankly, I don't get what all the buzz is about. Going into it, I suspected there would not be any gratuitous physical relationship between the main characters defined by an older Bill Murray and a far, far younger Scarlett Johannson simply because the notion would prove outrageous even by today's cultural standards. As movie craft, the only continuity in this film is established in the beginning when Bill Murray arrives in Tokyo for a brief acting gig and at the end of the film when he prepares for his departure. If every other scene filmed were represented as a playing card, any film editor in the world could reshuffle the deck, turn the cards over and come up with the same random film. Shots of Murray sitting in a bar. Shots of Johannson looking out a window. Shots of both talking on the phone. Shots of a brilliantly lighted techno-neon Tokyo. Shots of colorful fast talking Japanese personalities expressing themselves in a manner generally incoherent to the average Westerner. Shots of Murray and Johansson talking to or at one another, and mostly wistfully at that. Both characters have issues of loneliness and that's all they have in common, except that they are wealthy enough to share the same upscale hotel experience while staying in Tokyo. Sorry Sophia, this flick to me was akin to a highly praised abstract painting and proved just a bit too artsy for my unsophisticated midwestern sensibilities to absorb or fully appreciate.
Rating:
Summary: Good But Not Great
Review: In the middle of watching this DVD, I put it on "pause" and went to take a shower and cook my dinner. Not a good recommendation ...and yet I certainly cannot say that I didn't like it, or even greatly admire the skilled photography and, yes, direction. I'm just not sure I get the point. Bill Murray plays a disaffected American actor who comes to Japan to make a $2 million commercial touting a Japanese brand of whiskey. Oh no, Bill has sold out. His angst tells the tale as he suffers through the shoot and then through a number of publicity stills destined to make the sides of buses throughout Tokyo. In the middle of this he meets an equally disaffected young wife (Scarlett Johansson)who is in Japan accompanying her photgrapher husband. We know she is unhappy because she spends at least half her time sitting on the window ledge in her hotel room, looking out at the scenery. Bill and Scarlett meet. They share their angst and their snide humor, mostly aimed at the Japanese. They also bond and have some fun. Story drags on. I do see why Sofia Coppola has been rewarded for her superb direction; there are no superfluous scenes, everything is flawless, Tokyo is shown at its best and is skillfully used as anoter major character in the film. Watching the extra material, however, is painful, at least for me. We have a long long long look at pre-production and the early days of shooting, where we meet much of the senior crew on the film. We have a mediocre video. We DO, however, get to see more of a hilarious, funky Japanese TV show, upon which Bill Murray guests in the film. That's almost worth the price of the DVD. I did not watch the deleted scenes or the interview with Bill and Sofia--I had seen enough of each of them on the pre-production segment, and I didn't want the memory of deleted scenes to spoil my pleasure in the editing of the film itself. Enough said. I would probably have given this film three and a half stars if there was such a thing; it's worth seeing, but not a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Lost in the Movie...!
Review: This movie completely escapes me. I read all the reviews before seeing it, and was expecting to be pleasantly surprised. At the end, all I could see was a couple of lost souls wandering around tokyo, looking lost themselves. If the movie was "intelligent", I certainly missed it. Neither of the actors possessed any emotional latitude. They just wandered thru the movie lost themselves. After this movie ended, I caught the last 1/2 of the "Last Samurai". At least this movie did not pretend to be something else, and what you saw was what you got. Don't waste your time on "lost in translation" or you'll be lost yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Found: A Sleeper Screen Gem
Review: I just finished watching this movie, which I bought on the strength of my friends' critiques. I must say that this is definitely one of the more unique movies I have seen in a long time, and were it not for his past in Hollywood, Bill Murray would win an Oscar for Best Actor. No lying--I just ACTUALLY typed that. This is easily Murray's greatest performance. His look of apathy and off-the-cuff commentary are somewhat subdued in this movie, which gives his character (Bob, the washed-up actor) a geniune feel. He is also able to convey Bob's loneliness very easily. The moviegoers KNOW that Bob is a defeated and lonely man: even while on vacation, he is constantly bothered by his wife (whom he no longer loves), and his washed-up career further adds to his dismal situation. One of the more intriguing characters in cinema the last couple of years. Johansson is delightful in this movie. She gives an undeniably good performance here, but what sold me on her was her way with little things, especially facial expressions (a hint of a smile or a biting of her lip add depth to her character). The scenes that require her to actually ACT (the solo scenes in her apartment or her wandering thru Tokyo) are also well-done. She sold me on her character by simply becoming her: as she lies in bed with Murray, you can sense the feeling of uneasiness and isolation in her. She's worried about her future, but she is not alone--Murray, and the rest of us, understand and share her feelings. Coppola - who directed this with an intriguing focus on environment - has a great movie on her hands. She has little more than a hotel and two characters to work with--but she somehow manages to make it interesting. "A viewer" said this movie was boring, but I must disagree with him/her: the viewer is sold on both characters from the moment they see them, and this keeps the viewer enthralled. One can sense a feeling of warmth and caring beneath Bob's weathered exterior, and Charlotte, as a friend said, has a "girl next door" appeal to her--but in no way does she come off as naive. These are both easy sells for the viewer--a fact which can be attributed to Coppola's ability to develop the characters in a minimalist fashion. So to conclude, the acting is superb (Johannson and Murray are wonderful in their roles) and the directing is just as good. It also has its funny moments, but its usually serious. Somehow, Coppola was able to take a foreign hotel and two characters and make it entertaining. And thats where the charm of "Lost in Translation" lies: while the message is understood by all and the movie is no grand production, it resonates with the audience on a level that few other movies have.
Rating:
Summary: Nepotism At Its Worst
Review: Unfortunately, this movie feels like an end-of-the-semester project a film student makes in order to graduate. It tries so hard to be something, that it actually ends up being nothing. Sofia probably had a lot of things to say about lonliness and being a stranger in a strange land, but for some reason, she thought she didn't have to actually have her characters do or say anything. Apparently we'll 'get it' through osmosis. There are endless shots of Bill and Scarlett staring out of windows, sitting in silence or doing things that add nothing to the movie (hitting a golf shot, for instance). These "figure it out for yourself because I'm too busy being an artist" scenes might have worked if these characters had been fleshed out to any degree. Instead, we watch two morose human beings walk around for 2 slow, tedious, uninteresting, maddening, and frustrating hours. There is one word why this film saw the light of day: Coppola.
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