Lost In Translation w/ Bill Murray -Best film of the year without question.No spoiler

[se7en]

I just wanted to give my 2 cents on this film. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and thought I should recommend it since no one is talking about it.

First off I just want to say that i enjoy cheeseball action flicks as much as the next guy. I saw Rundown and I was entertained during the 2 hours I was in the theater. But most films like that are so lightweight that i forget them by the time I get to the car. Lost in Translation and Bill Murray's performance stuck with me for many, many days. It's been 2 weeks and I still can't get it out of my head. That's how FUNNY, thought provoking, unique and amazing it was.

"Lost in Translation" with Bill Murray is absolutely amazing. And wow what a great trip to a Japan. It very rare that you get an authentic look and feel at another country. And very rarely an Asian country. The last film to give me a real Japanese flavor was Ridley Scott's "Black Rain". This has 5 times that inside look at Japan. And funny as hell. Yet subtle. It's hard to explain the feeling of this film. It's unique and fresh.

Some independent films like this are a bit slow moving and get a bit boring. I wasn't bored at all. Watching Bill Murray was just incredible. He could have been reading a phonebook for 2 hours in this movie and I still would have been awed. That's how great he was.

HERE IS THE GENERAL STORY WITHOUT ANY DETAILS GIVEN AWAY.
The gist of the film is that Murray is a washed up movie star. He's in Japan to use what's left of his star power to make a quick buck by making a commercial for a Japanese company. He ends up stuck at this hotel by himself for a week during the shoot. He meets a young girl. They're both unhappy in their relationships. They develope a relationship that is both touching and funny during their encounters and adventures in this hotel and around Tokyo. Much of the humor is about how alienated they feel in Japan. The different culture and language barrier along with the shallowness of their mates bonds them together in an odd relationship. Sophia Coppolla is no longer riding on the fame of her father. Great direction. Amazing photography of Tokyo at day and night.

This film is so great that it will be a tragedy if Murray doesn't win an Oscar for his role. I can not imagine anyone pulling off a more incredible performance.

If you are a fan of Murray. If you enjoyed Rushmore. If you just want to see something new and different. If you want to see a film with substance and humor that will stay with you for days after than you must see this film.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

This is the #1 movie on my list to see right now. Can't wait.

Mike

 

[Stout]

Originally posted by se7en
Some independent films like this are a bit slow moving and get a bit boring. I wasn't bored at all. Watching Bill Murray was just incredible. He could have been reading a phonebook for 2 hours in this movie and I still would have been awed. That's how great he was.

I disagree.

I agree that it was a good movie. I enjoyed the acting immensely. Bill Murray, as you said, was phenomenal. The girl's part was amazing as well. The story, too, as well as the setting and the camera shots were great.

Problem was, it WAS boring. I understood, at first, why they did this. They wanted to set up the plot not just with words but with what was happening around him. All right, that's fine. I was having fun. Then....................................the slow film kept slow. Instead of picking up a bit when Murray and the girl were having fun, it kept slow. And slow. And slllllooooooow.

So, it was a good movie, with some great elements that could have made it a truly great movie, IMO, but the writer and director just wouldn't let the movie get there.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I saw this movie in California.

Good film. Murray's acting makes it all worthwhile.

However, the directing drove me nuts. The constant changing of the sound level, the blurring of the camera for several seconds, and yes the middle of the movie seemed to drag.

The movie has a ton of symbolism and the director uses her style to convey this symbolism. The problem is she just beats you over the head with it. Yes I understand the lines of communication are blurred, but they don't have to be so blurry that it becomes annoying to your audience.

 

[Stout]

Originally posted by Chris_Sanders
I saw this movie in California.

Good film. Murray's acting makes it all worthwhile.

However, the directing drove me nuts. The constant changing of the sound level, the blurring of the camera for several seconds, and yes the middle of the movie seemed to drag.

The movie has a ton of symbolism and the director uses her style to convey this symbolism. The problem is she just beats you over the head with it. Yes I understand the lines of communication are blurred, but they don't have to be so blurry that it becomes annoying to your audience.

Good take. I liked the movie too...told friends who were thinking about seeing it that it's well worth the price of admission. But it could have been so much better.

 

[mdamien13]

Good movie but not great movie. I think Stout said just about everything I would've said about it. Too boring to be considered classic and Bill Murray's performance in Rushmore was better.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

I loved this movie...and it helped that my wife and I went with a couple that has travelled to Japan, Korea, etc before.

When he goes by himself, he said this movie is EXACTLY how it is. You can't sleep, you are bored, you wander around.

Anyways, some thought it was boring or slow, but that was the whole ppint. To just show what it's like being major jet lagged and in a foriegn country.

Murray was awesome of course, as everyone has said. And wow, Scarlett Johanson (however you spell her name)...what a babe. I thought she did well too.

The ending was interesting, gives you something to think about for sure.

Mike

 

[Cheesebeef]

Very good movie - can I call it a classic? No - but I do know that every time Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansen were on the screen together I was mesmerized by their chemistry - Bill Murray's best performance? No - but again - he was very good in it - and not only is Scarlett gorgeous, but she is one hell of an actor - I knew from the moment I saw THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE that she was special, but she laid me out during this film.

Sadly I can't heap the praise on this film I was hoping to because I went in hoping for this movie to knock me out - it didn't do that - but it left me very satisfied at the end - good use of music as well - especially the end - I love a movie that can go out with a song and actually have it resonate with me and have my head moving - i just like being carried out by the movie - that's the way I felt at the end.

 

[bratwurst]

I saw this a couple weeks ago with the wife. I thought it was great.

I especially liked the scenes when Murray is shooting the ads, and he starts doing all the different impressions when the photographer wants "double 0 7" and "Roger Moore", etc.

Brilliant movie all around.

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by Chandler Mike

The ending was interesting, gives you something to think about for sure.

I just saw this movie in a small art-house theater and the sound and film quality sucked. I assume you weren't supposed to be able to understand what Murray whispered to the girl at the end, but I can't be certain. Is this the case, or did I miss something important?

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by Pariah
I just saw this movie in a small art-house theater and the sound and film quality sucked. I assume you weren't supposed to be able to understand what Murray whispered to the girl at the end, but I can't be certain. Is this the case, or did I miss something important?

Nobody can help me out here?

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Originally posted by Pariah
Nobody can help me out here?

Pariah,

You don't get to hear what he says. That's the mystery I guess.

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by Chris_Sanders
Pariah,

You don't get to hear what he says. That's the mystery I guess.

That's what I thought, but I couldn't be certain because I missed a number of lines due to the sound quality. Thanks!

 

[DevonCardsFan]

Originally posted by Stout
Good take. I liked the movie too...told friends who were thinking about seeing it that it's well worth the price of admission. But it could have been so much better.

It was a good movie, but dragged alot and is way over hyped. Its not the film of the year or anything. From the hype it is getting now I was ready for a classic. Would have enjoyed it more if my expectations were lower.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Originally posted by DevonCardsFan
It was a good movie, but dragged alot and is way over hyped. Its not the film of the year or anything. From the hype it is getting now I was ready for a classic. Would have enjoyed it more if my expectations were lower.

The dragging part is the reason is was so good.

Too many people today want movies that are fast-paced, action-packed. Just because it was slow doesn't mean it wasn't great.

The whole point of the movie was to also show the culture and place they were living in.

Mike

 

[mdamien13]

Originally posted by DevonCardsFan
From the hype it is getting now I was ready for a classic. Would have enjoyed it more if my expectations were lower.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

Originally posted by Chandler Mike
The dragging part is the reason is was so good.

Too many people today want movies that are fast-paced, action-packed. Just because it was slow doesn't mean it wasn't great.

The whole point of the movie was to also show the culture and place they were living in.

Mike

I hate action movies and basically am a documentary freak. Dragging does not bother me as long as there is a point to it. Several scenes dragged far to long like the Kaoreke scene, That lasted like 10 min, dragging just for the sake of dragging is pointless. I think some parts were just done too artsy, were there is nothing happening and it's a pointless scene. If you wanted you could have condensed the movie to 45 minutes, if you cut out dragging

 

[thirty-two]

I finally saw this movie tonight.

Not once did I feel that the movie was slow.. I remember looking at the clock and saying "Wow, an hour and 15 minutes have already gone bye." I really enjoyed the chemistry between the girl and Murray. And I love Giovanni Ribisi (sp?), despite the small part he had.

I enjoyed the movie - definitely a movie I'd see again. It also gave me a real bad craving for California rolls...

 

[vince56]

Originally posted by thirty-two
I finally saw this movie tonight.

Not once did I feel that the movie was slow.. I remember looking at the clock and saying "Wow, an hour and 15 minutes have already gone bye."

That's exactly how I felt. My girlfriend didn't, though. She thought it was boring. I thought it was great because it was told from a real-life perspective. It felt more real than any other movie I've seen recently, and while I didn't find it necessarily a comedic movie, I really enjoyed the chemistry as well and the Tokyo experience.

 

[CardinalMike]

The movie was semi-nostalgic for me since I lived in Japan for 4 years. Although I didn't think it was all that entertaining as a movie which disappointed me as I am a big fan of Bill Murray. The movie took about 15 minutes worth of plot and stretched it out for over an hour then ended with one of the weakest endings I've seen outside of Femme Fatale with Rebecca Romjin-Stamos, harsh I know.

Cardinal Mike!!

 

[Shane]

I have to agre with some others thismovie was highly dissapointing aonsidering all the hype.

There is a difference between a good slow movie and just a slow movie and this one was just slow. It had some funny moments but is far from hilarious like people have made it out to be.

The ending sucked too!

I really dont see how Bill Murray did anything special to deserve an Oscar either.

 

[Chaplin]

How many people made it out to be hilarious? It's never been described as hilarious, always just "sweet".

 

[Mike Olbinski]

The movie was definitely NOT hilarious...

Mike

 

[Shane]

Originally posted by Chaplin
How many people made it out to be hilarious? It's never been described as hilarious, always just "sweet".

Many movie reviewers have said it is hilarious. Including Peter Travers whos quote right on the movie box says "flat out hilarious"

So Im sure Im not the only one who expected a comedy.

Still dont see the Oscar material in it???

 

[Mike Olbinski]

This movie is playing over and over on HDNet lately...

I really love it more and more, the more times I've seen it.

Such a good movie, they put you right into the shoes of these two and you feel everything they are.

Brilliantly done.