 "Missing The Words But Deciphering The Meaning..." | 2009-09-29 |
| - Reviewed By darklordzden |
Bob Harris (Bill Murray) arrives in Tokyo nursing killer jetlag and an ever-widening gulf between his personal aspirations and his professional obligations, as well as a marriage succumbing to the laws of entropy; A middle-aged actor of some repute and former stardom, he checks into a luxurious Japanese hotel and girds his loins in order to get through a three day stint starring in a Whiskey commercial for which he is being paid an obscene amount of money.
Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) haunts the corridors of the same hotel, as well as the streets of Tokyo, while her husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi), is off photographing obscenely hip bands around Japan for a magazine spread. Recently married, lacking a palpable direction in life and recently transposed to L.A. from New York, Charlotte feels like the proverbial lost soul.
Bob and Charlotte, strangers in a strange land, notice each other, meet and strike up an unlikely acquaintance and this beautifully shot and languidly paced film leaves it up to the audience to decide what really happens next.
Sofia Coppola's "Lost In Translation" is hands-down one of my favourite films of all time.
Its about insomnia; jetlag; bad lounge bands; not knowing which dish on the menu is which; drunken nights in karaoke bars with people who have just become your new best friends; strange new cultures; unconsummated passions; the beauty of solitary moments; waking up in a strange new place; the ambiguity of human relationships; the frisson of recognition when you first realise the connection with a kindred spirit and the utter banality of most Hollywood films. It is slowly paced, beautifully crafted, touching in parts, hypnotic in others and is occasionally wince-inducingly funny.
It also boasts a gorgeous soundtrack featuring the likes of Air, Squarepusher, and Mount Sims.
It is also unequivocally 'not' just a "mid-life crisis" movie. Or if it is, it's the "mid-life crisis" movie that the world deserves.
Its a film that will soothe the soul, lighten the burden, lull you to sleep and leave you wanting to breathe the crisp morning air after a drunken night on the town.
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| "An instant classic and easily one of the best films of this current decade..." | 2009-09-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: ANCOMAI0I7LVG |
Pulling up this product to post my review I found myself a little shocked at the very low overall rating this film has received. 148 three-star reviews? 227 two-star reviews? 572 one-star reviews? Really? I can't help but wonder how this marvelous film can receive such little love. Sure, it has 728 five-star reviews (729 if you count mine) but the fact that it has nearly 1,000 mediocre-to-bad ratings is shocking to me, in a bad way. How could people `not get' this movie? I think that reviewer Greg Frayser was right; people just `don't get it'.
That is sad, because what Sophia Coppola has done here is create and deliver a touching and poignant look at humanity at its purest, which is something we rarely see today.
A lot of times we see raw and honest portrayals of the dark side of humanity when we look at intelligent cinema. All too often our own realistic brutality is splashed across the screen, bringing us closer to our very own demons. I applaud filmmakers brave enough to ascertain the notion that honesty is the best policy, willing to expose us for who we are without a care for the audience reaction. This pays off extremely well for some, and I have to admit that I have always gravitated towards the darker corners of the cinematic experience. I feel the need though, especially after seeing all the negative response to this film, to single out Coppola for doing the exact opposite. Instead of focusing on the parts of us we want to hide from, Coppola exposes the purity that is in most of us; giving us a breath of fresh air in a society fixated on clichés and fantastical distortions of reality. `Lost in Translation' is a beautiful and honest account of two people who, simply put, fill and need within one another.
Both Bob and Charlotte are in a strange place, both literally and figuratively. They are both in Tokyo, so there's the `literal' strange place, but they are also both in a difficult and confusing emotional state within their own lives. Bob, an actor, is lost in his own aspirations. He isn't sure why he does what he does. He seems almost apathetic, but it's not apathy that is slowly killing him; it's an emptiness he cannot quite understand. Charlotte, who is traveling with her husband (who is working), is just as lost. Her marriage is new yet feeling tired and her husband's friends and personality make her feel out of place. When you are already empty and alone then strange places can feel like prisons as apposed to adventures. Both Bob and Charlotte find themselves resenting the absurdity of their surroundings because, in their state, everything is void of meaning.
But by chance they meet, and they bond, and soon they find that there is purpose.
Sophia Coppola is a personal favorite of mine. She has only made three films so far but all three have been extremely thought-provoking and intelligent, and wildly creative. I love her style, which is unique and visionary. The word auteur is not thrown around carelessly, but I would toss that word in her direction because she has proven with just three movies to have her own distinct and poignant vision.
And the way she works with actors is a dream!
Bill Murray is a great comedian, one who I adore in nearly everything. This performance will go down in history as his greatest achievement. I only wish this had netted him the Oscar (much better than Penn's hammy victory) for his performance is so rich with meaning and depth. He really understood how to use his unique brand of deadpan humor to create a man who is very real and very personable. Don't even get me started on Scarlett Johansson's lack of an Oscar nomination here, for in my opinion she gave THE PERFORMANCE OF 2003. She matches Murray scene for scene, but the natural flourishes she adds to her scenes elevate her slightly above him in my opinion. Just watch the way she adds a flinch or a chuckle here and there, adding color and individuality to such a beautifully fleshed out character.
There are few films that can reach this level of earnest beauty. One recent film that comes very close is `Once'. You walk away feeling this inner warmth and the only word I can use to describe it is `pure'; `Lost in Translation' is very, very pure. |
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| "Negative reviewers just don't get it" | 2009-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: AP6XA124W7STM |
| Reading some of these reviews is a bit enraging. The movie has a plot. It just doesn't happen to be a Michael Bay "Transformers" plot where the story moves at the speed of light, supplemented by explosions and special effects. You have to appreciate character depth and real storytelling to love this movie. It's the subtleties that make this movie brilliant (i.e. Bill Murray standing in an elevator in a hotel in Japan, towering over everyone else). If you're looking for another popcorn flick, this is not it. This is a beautiful movie about two people, thrust into worlds they don't fully understand (both Japan and their personal lives), who form an unlikely, yet special bond. It's well worth giving a shot. |
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| "Masterpiece" | 2009-07-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3L0DDEEF16VD |
| The relationship between Murray and Scarjo is classic in the Hepburn/Tracy, Bogart/Bacall tradition. The tension is palpable early and often, and thankfully does not descend into pulp novel trash. Murray is terrific, but is actually upstaged by the range and depth of Scarjo. The karaoke scene is worth the price of admission. |
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 "Lost In Translation DVD" | 2009-06-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: AGWAERNRB7OJ6 |
| I didn't particularlly care for this movie, it was just too slow with little or no plot of interest. But that's only my opinion, someone may find it more appealing than I did. |
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