Lost in Translation
We went to see Lost in Translation a couple of days ago. I really like Bill Murray (I can’t recall having seen him give a bad performance, even in a bad film), and Scarlett Johansson is also a fantastic, low key actress (she was superb in Ghost World—one of my favourite films of the past few years).
Sofia Coppola did a great job with this film; it’s very funny, tender, beautifully shot and rather moving in places. But I have seen some reviews which question her reliance on some rather dodgy stereotypes of Japan and Japanese people for the humour. It’s true that the film gets close to being insulting in places, but I think that her intention was to play up the characters’ feelings of culture shock and general bewilderment with what was going on, and in this sense, it worked very well. I’m not as well-travelled as some people, but I instantly recognised that feeling of being completely at sea in a different culture, and deeply lonely as a result.
I found the tentativeâbut unconsummatedârelationship between Bob and Charlotte believable and involving. There’s a lovely scene where they are both lying (clothed) on Bob’s hotel bed in the small hours, both unable to sleep. They are talking quietly about their lives, voices blurry with tiredness. The scene is shot from above, and shows Bob lying flat on his back with Charlotte curled foetally beside him, with bare feet. When Charlotte confides her fears about what she will do with the rest of her life, Bob reaches down and gently covers her feet with his hand. It’s a wonderfully tender moment.
Bill Murray does dry wit and physical comedy brilliantly, but he can also play very subtle emotion in an affecting way. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person with a bit of a tear in my eye at his terrible, stricken, bleak expression as he watched Charlotte walk out of the hotel.
The sensuality and sexual tension of the non-affair in this film reminded me a lot of In the Mood for Loveâa film I watched for the second time a little while ago. In this gorgeous film, nothing really happens, but it is utterly gripping and electric. Julie made a comment on another entry about her liking for films in which nothing much happens, and I must say that I share her tasteâI think she would love this film.
In the Mood for Love tells the story of two neighbours living in Hong Kong in the 1960s. Her husband is always away on business trips, while his wife works late at the office. Eventually, they realise that their spouses are having an affair with one another, and they go on to not have an affair. This doesn’t even start to convey the crackling sexual tension in this film. It is gloriously shot in saturated colours, and there are long slow-motion scenes following the woman to a restaurant to collect take-out noodles. The music, the visuals and the wonderful, slinky elegance of Maggie Cheung as the woman make the scene completely mesmerising. When the camera lingers on her fingers touching the wall briefly as she descends the steps, I swear that the all the little hairs will stand up on the back of your neck.
Big budget Hollywood blockbusters could learn some important lessons from these films; sometimes fully-clothed characters who refrain from having an affair is far more erotic than those who rip all their clothes off and dive into bed.
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It's a pleasure to read about your impressions of Lost in Translation. I too love this movie. In fact, I may have gone a bit overboard... Though I'm not usually the type to see movies multiple times in the theater, I managed to see LiT five times. Both Murray and Johansson are superb and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sofia Coppola's talent based on this film alone. The reason I saw the movie so many times (aside from simply enjoying it) was that it is highly instructive to anyone interested in the craft of storytelling and/or film-making. Watching it with an eye toward "what makes it work" is a bit like taking apart a finely crafted watch; each little piece exists to serve the overall purpose. Good stuff.----- not to be difficult, but i'm guessing you haven't seen "Rushmore" --my own opinion is that not even Bill Murray could deodorize that stinker... on the other hand, i loved him in "the Razor's Edge" and i think that film easily proves everything you said about his abilities and talents...
by stacy @ 17/01/2004 9:02 pm • Permalink •
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Lost in Translation is one of those movies that remind you that every movie doesn't have to have a car chase and an explosion in it...it was one where you could just sit and enjoy the experience.
And hey, I liked Rushmore. It was certainly flawed and I could see where some would dislike it, but even then, I thought Murray gave a great, weird performance in it.
by PZ Myers @ 17/01/2004 10:02 pm • Permalink •
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I was very taken with LiT and intend to see it again. Murray's face is superb. I agree with you, bsag, about the lack of subtley of the big budget movie. This week I saw "Somethings Gotta Give". Individual scenes were okay but the film in total left me ... shaking my head. Just no subtlety. I am not a big fan of Nicholson but I do like Keaton. She was poorly served in spots ... the crying feeding creativity scenes in particular. Keanu Reeves was a revelation. I particularly liked the scene between Keaton and Reeves over the sofa. Well captured. This week we get to see "Mystic River" which comes highly recommended.
Thank you for the recommendation. I shall hunt around for it here in my specialist video store.
by Julie @ 18/01/2004 11:02 am • Permalink •
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Brian: I know what you mean - I'd like to see it again sometime soon. Have you seen 'The Virgin Suicides' (Sofia Coppola's debut)? It's a similarly delicate film, but with a much more ambiguous ending.
stacy: No, I haven't seen 'Rushmore'. I guess that there's always an exception to every rule
PZ Myers: How true. I'm a big fan of films without car chases and explosions.
Julie: I haven't even heard of 'Somethings Gotta Give', but I was stunned to hear that Keanu might actually act in it. Can that be true?
by bsag @ 19/01/2004 6:01 pm • Permalink •
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Kind of sorry I read this post, since I haven't seen the film yet and I hate knowing any details in advance, but still...
I never used to like Bill Murray that much, always thought he seemed excessively pleased with himself all the time, but I've liked the things I've seen him in recently. As for bad performances, What About Bob? was easily the worst film I've ever seen, bar none, an unspeakable piece of dreck with Murray the worst aspect.
by Simon @ 22/01/2004 7:01 am • Permalink •
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LiT is one of the great movies....I think the real mystery behind the success of this movie is its very esoteric location (Tokyo) and how it makes use of it to create a very romantic (almost by default) setting between two unlikely people...anyone know what Bill told Scarlet in the final scene when he whispers in her ear? Cant make it out even with the volume at full blast! I think this will put closure to this movie for me....need to know!!!!
by Tom @ 16/02/2004 3:03 pm • Permalink •
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LiT is one of those movies that keep you thinking about it long after it is over... I, too, wonder what he says to her at the end, but I'm sure that we aren't to know, even with the volume up at full tilt! Whatever it is, it leaves him feeling as though a great weight has been lifted off him as you can see by his body language before the cab stops, and then after he gets back in. It brings her to tears as she nods in hearing what he has to say to her. I prefer to think that he has told her something to the effect of: I love you...If things don't work out with your husband, call me... That is what I imagine it to be. I'm sure Coppola left the end "up in the air" on purpose so everyone could formulate a proper ending for themselves.
by Maureen @ 26/02/2004 4:02 pm • Permalink •
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Coppola has turned the romantic comedy genre upside down, with great results. In the "happy endng," for example, there is no dialogue and no happy ever after. No love scenes.
(In interviews, Murray and Coppola have declined to divulge the contents of Murray's whisper. My guess: "Charlotte, pick up your room.")
I too am troubled by the film's attitude towards the Japanese, especially the scene in which Bob Harris goes out of his way to insult a sushi chef. On the other hand, one point of the film is the extent to which American pop culture has corrupted Japanese culture: the lugubrious Park Hyatt hotel,the manic talk show host, etc.
My favorite scene: Charlotte leaves her husband's friends to speak to Bob at the bar. No one could be less glamorous: bowling-alley blouse, dull hair, etc. She acts like a college freshman asking a boy to dance. And she is utterly beguiling. Perfect! Contrast this scene to Julia Roberts's plea in "Notting Hill": "I'm just a girl standing here trying to get a boy to love me."
Second favorite: Charlotte and her husband encounter the manic American celebrity--Charlotte's foil--in the hotel lobby. The husband is taken. Charlotte takes it all in, and when her husband puts his arm around his wife, as if to prove that they are a couple, Charlotte very carefully removes it.
This film has interrupted my life, as did "Hiroshima, Mon Amour" in l959, a love story set in Hiroshima. I am trying to concentrate on the Lenten season, but I have Scarlett Fever.
by Victor @ 28/02/2004 4:03 am • Permalink •
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Lost in Translation came out of nowhere and hit a spot in me that will leave traces for a very, very long time. It was such a strange reaction for me - me? Enjoying a drama/romantic comedy? Iâm a 23 year old guy, studying animation & special effects⦠the movies i usually enjoy are those full of eye-candy and some sort of computer-made effects.
To me, this wasnât JUST an entertaining film - it honestly changed my perspective on a lot of things (life, for one!). Since Iâve seen it, I watch it at just about every opportunity i can. The first week after Iâd seen it for the first time, I watched it every single day. I donât think thereâs a movie that has actually done this to me - and if there is one, its been a really long time!
In fact, while searching for info about this movie, the fantastic actors or the supremely talented Sofia Coppola, I came up to a site with a pretty negative review on the movie - i think the guy gave it 4/10. I was actually really taken back with it and emailed the guy just to let him know how wrong I thought he was! This is a first!
Its great to see so many people enjoyed this film. Its really opened our eyes and will hopefully inspire more producers/directors to use their minds and hearts instead of using only the money in their pockets.
Cheers to Sofia, Bill and Scarlett! Thankyou very much for this insightful, inspiring and touching tale.
by Mike @ 28/03/2004 5:03 pm • Permalink •
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he says: You have changed my life irreversibly and I am glad Stay here I will be back for you in a week
I rented it and then bought two copies It has changed my life
by d luper @ 27/04/2004 1:05 pm • Permalink •
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The whisper was intended to bring closure to the characters, not to the audience. It forces the audience to be forced out of their close relationship with the characters. This technique is often used in theater and film to leave the viewers with a different perspective, often less biased than if they were too sympathize too much with the characters.
-Randy Xu http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~rxu/
http://www.harvardsketch.com
by Randy Xu @ 05/05/2004 6:05 pm • Permalink •
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