Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant, Hilarious Study of Human Isolation and Intimacy
Review: "Lost in Translation" is director Sofia Coppola's remarkable study of the isolation and intimacy that people experience in both emotional and geographical environments. The film takes place in contemporary Tokyo where retired B-Movie actor, Bob Harris (Bill Murray) has come to film a commercial for a Japanese whiskey company. Harris spends his days enduring the bizarre yet entirely believable process of shooting a commercial in a country whose language and culture are completely beyond his understanding. He spends his evenings alone in the bedroom, the gym, or the bar of his lavish hotel where practically every moment seems surreal for one reason or another. In the bar, he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) who has followed her photographer husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi) to Tokyo where he is working on an extended project. At first, Bob and Charlotte develop a casual friendship based on their mutual sense of loneliness, lack of fulfillment, and their response to the sheer oddity of their surroundings. But soon their friendship develops into a deeper sense of understanding and intimacy, and with this come new complications. Both of them are married to spouses who for one reason or another are inaccessible, Bob is much older than Charlotte, and while he has experienced financial success and built a family, she is still at a point in her life where she is young and unsure of where she is headed. Charlotte almost never sees her husband, and the few times that she does he is busy cavorting with his colleagues and clients. Bob receives regular phone calls from his wife, but they only discuss her remodeling plans for their home. In the hands of an unskilled filmmaker, this situation would be ripe for all kinds of clichéd and predictable behavior. Instead, Coppola shapes their story with impressive ease and with an extraordinary understanding of the human soul. There is a lot of subtle stuff going on between Charlotte and Bob, but we never get bored or confused as their relationship develops and then conflicts arise. Similarly, despite the fact both characters are lost in Tokyo with its intense, pop-culture energy, the film never condemns or makes fun of that place. Like their personal lives, Tokyo for Bob and Charlotte is simply a space that they inhabit but in which they also feel utterly lost. While "Lost in Translation" explores some very serious themes it remains a hilarious and low-key film from start to finish. I have to agree with critics or reviewers who state that this is the best role of Bill Murray's career. Johansson also delivers an extremely skilled and subtle performance. There are also many extraordinarily funny scenes in which Bob and Charlotte find themselves interacting with people or in situations that they don't understand. During many of these scenes the film pulls no punches when it comes to fully exposing some of the more bizarre and eccentric qualities of contemporary Japanese culture. Much to its credit, however the film does this in an upfront fashion without stooping to insults or stereotypes-it's simply too honest to do that. I highly recommend this film for its humor, its insight, and for the remarkable performances from Bill Murray, Scarlet Johansson, and the city of Tokyo. Coppola should be highly commended for her creative genius as a director and as a screenwriter.
Rating: 
Summary: My date fell asleep
Review: And I wasn't far behind. Whatever appeal this movie had to others was completely lost on me. I kept waiting for something to happen, and waiting, and waiting.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Story
Review: Lost in Translation is like a dreamy afternoon nap. While the slow and subtle immersion into an unspoken affection is not for everyone, this hazy, bittersweet tale is a treasure for closet romantics.
Rating:
Summary: What a Beautiful Film....
Review: I absolutely loved this movie.. It is still haunting me days after I watched it. The film techniques, the soundtrack, the way you get caught up in the actors' scenarios is brilliant. Bill Murray was absolutely amazing, he made me feel like I was right there with him in tokyo, and the relationship that the two had was so moving and heartfelt, I wanted to keep following them more and more to see what would happen next. The ending scene was heartbreaking and beautiful, and the fact that Coppola did not let the audience hear what Bill Murray whispers into her ear made it even more alluring to me. It leaves you to imagine what may have been said, and what could happen to these two lost souls AFTER the movie is over and in their future lives. It left me wanting more, and that is the markings of a good film. The scenes in Tokyo and the relationships with the citizens there were not only hilarious, but heartwarming. I absolutely recommend this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Much ado about notihng
Review: This is a classic example of the Press saying this is a Great film and the lemmings follow. If you enjoy watching two pathetic characters like voyeurs, this talky two hours is your cup of tea. Don't give me that character study crapola. I have viewed hyped movies before and been disapointed but this is like being told that dinner will be steak and baked spud and getting last weeks wilted lettuce.Don't waste your time or the money spent. If Sophia or Bill gets the Oscar, it is fixed!
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted to like it....
Review: I was expecting a comedy and found a tragedy instead. Lost in Translation is a haunting drama displaying the emptiness and rootlessness of western culture; especially westernized Japanese culture. With stark character portrayals of an aging American actor and a young American wife, their out-of-place feelings for Japan mirror the same feeling of their domestic lives. I found the show tedious, flat, and empty.
Rating:
Summary: ....
Review: Remember the old "love it or hate it" factor? Applicable to film, books, music, or just about any facet of human expression, this is one of those films that fits in the category. Honestly, I tried to enjoy this movie, knowing the rave reviews it was given, with one of my favorite actors in it and the daughter of the famed Francis Ford Coppola directing it. Even going through the tough first half hour, I thought to myself to "keep searching" for the film's meaning, to judge it by its own standards and not bring in biases that the typical American film brings to the masses. Unfortunately, I just couldn't do it. As other have pointed out, it felt that Coppolla was just stretching out the introduction of the characters in the first 30 minutes. Although many scenes were amusing, sometimes hilarious (and no, I didn't think for one moment it was racist), it got old when I kept questioning where the film was being directed. Scene after pointless scene was handed to me. Finally, when the two characters meet, I had thought that some kind of story would start. Very little changes, as the two characters simply lose themselves in Tokyo's bright lights and foreign atmosphere. Only small handfuls of dialogue felt as if there was real meaning being exchanged between the two characters. I'll give the film some credit. By the end, I felt that there certainly was a subtle connection that had crept into my mind wihtout my noticing. I felt some emotion in their final departure, and rethought the film from this point. But Alas, there was little content to back up the development between the two. My final judgement for the film: two stars. The film was more about the characters than a straightfoward narrative, but I felt little connection to the characters themselves, and the fact that I was waiting for the film to end about 30-45 minutes into it doesn't help it.
Rating:
Summary: Can not get this movie out of my head...
Review: I saw this movie at the theatre before the nominations and was astonished at this post-modern gem of a story. The simplicity of this film let the characters shine. I do not usually "relate" to films but I will admit this movie had me from scene one. Bill Murray astounded me and he very much deserves the Oscar for this role. (making up for the supporting actor snub from the Royal Tenenbaums) I am a little perplexed by the lack of recognition for Scarlett Johansson however. I love the fact that this movie is about the real, gritty and a lot of the times banal moments of people's lives. If you watch this film with an open mind and dare I say heart it will leave you stinging. Not to worry the ending will kick you in the gut but in way that is reminiscent of Casablanca. Not a happy ending but in no way a sad ending. Do not misunderstand me however this movie is funny. Not always in a huge guffaw manor but will make you crack a quite a few smiles. Just seeing Bill Murray sing "More Than This" by Roxy Music on karaoke is priceless. Oh... and the soundtrack... FABULOUS.
So if you didn't like this movie on the first viewing may I ask you rewatch it without the expectations you placed upon it. Its not an all out comedy nor is it an all out drama. Everybody has that one story they never tell. That one person you met somewhere, maybe at a bar, on the bus, in a different city or perhaps another country. You may not even remember their name but for one hour or day or week they made your life a little more bearable. Keep them in mind and then watch this film
Rating: 
Summary: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Review: I watched this film on a 13 1/2 hour plane ride from New York to Tokyo. Having lived in Tokyo the past 20+ years I must say the film is loaded with cultural stereotypes. Waiting for something to happen in this film, I wondered if the feeling of slowness related to the plane drone or tedium of long-distance flying until I realized "Lost in Translation" does not seem dull, it is dull. OK there is a lot of neon glitz in "downtown" Tokyo but there's a lot in Times Square too. Do we need to shoot a couple hours of film to make the point that people are lonely or that cross-cultural experience can be challenging? I didn't get any redeeming value in this movie. I did find an excuse to go back to sleep.
Rating:
Summary: No Point
Review: If any movie demonstrates the corruption of the "system" it is this childish movie that has no discernable value... I can not believe that this monster made by anyone other than FF Coppola's daughter would habve made it to any theater. Horrible and embarrassing.
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