Lost in Translation
I think the easiest way to write a review is to pick a film that you either think is awful or you really like. I have chosen to write about a film that slowly grows in affection every time I watch it. It?s possibly one of my favourites.
?Lost in Translation? is a film from 2003, made by director Sofia Coppola. Coppola was born into a family already in the film business. Her father Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most well known directors in the industry. She is also related to a composer, a music video director and has actor Nicolas Cage as cousin.
This is her second full-length film. ?The Virgin Suicides? from 2000 was her first. Her third film, ?Marie Antoinette? was released in 2006. ?Lost in Translation? is her most acclaimed film to date. It received three Golden Globes and won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Sofia Coppola also wrote the manuscript and co-produced the film.
The story situates around two American characters during their stay in Tokyo. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a famous American actor who is in Tokyo appearing in a whisky commercial. A young philosophy student named Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) joins her photographer husband when he?s having a photo shoot in Japan. Bob is lonely a lot, since he?s travelling a lot. Between his encounters with the Japanese media he spends most of the time at the hotel. Charlotte also spends a lot of the time at the hotel, mostly because her husband is working the majority of the time. They both feel a great distance to the culture in Japan. One evening they run into each other at the hotel bar and find comfort in cultural likeness.
This film is mostly a study of two people behave in relation to cultural differences. It takes place only during a few days, but we have time to get to know these characters very well. Although rather simplistic scenes follows one another, they are more well thought of and brings more to the story than first catches the eye.
There?s a brilliant scene where Bill Murray, our middle-aged misplaced American actor, encounters the Japanese while working on a video shoot. He asks for directions and his interpreter translates what seems like quite a long answer only to a few short words. Lost in translation. Actually these few words are somewhat presentable for the director?s answer. These things may seem a bit uninspiring but I think they add up to the story theme about cultural differences.
Contrasts take big part in the story. There?s the hectic life of modern Tokyo and than there?s the calmer lives of Bob and Charlotte. The Japanese?s seem to speed things up while the Americans slow it down. Another contrast is the different storytelling. In the beginning they both are alone, slightly depressed and bored to death. There?s this intensely melancholic feeling that describes the moment. Then we they meet thing feeling slowly changes. They find friendship, and go out together having fun. So, there?s the pity and there?s also good fun.
They are two very different people. Yet they find likeness and comfort in each other. There?s almost a feeling of soul mates, there?s such a strong connection between them. Despite the fact that they both have spouses, (Bob even has children) there?s this romantic feeling involved that cannot be ignored.
This is a romantic comedy, however there?s more depth to it than most other typical comedies. There?s also this seriousness about the film that deals with life?s big questions. E.g. ?What is my purpose?? and ?Does marriage get easier?? There are also fewer jokes and no one-liners. I would say it?s more of a romantic story about a friendship with a few comical situations and laughs. Those are some hilarious moments though.
The acting is superb; especially Murray does an outstanding performance. Both him and Johansson capture the heart and soul of their characters. Great cast, I also think the Japanese are great. Maybe a bit stereotypical, but that makes it easier to point out the cultural differences.
The cinematography brilliantly captures the different moods and feelings of the story. Wide-angle camera views of Murray sitting alone on the hotel bed feeling lone and empty. Late at night you can see the skyline and city lights out through the huge windows.
The soundtrack completes the film with wonderfully put together songs. Sofia Coppola has a true vision for what she?s looking for. She is a true artist. She finds every little piece intriguing and vital for the story to live on.
The themes about loneliness and misplaced souls are reappearing in her films. In ?The Virgin Suicides? there are seven teenage girls who portrait the emptiness and depression of such age. In ?Marie Antoinette?, our main character feels out of place from the first step she takes into France. She grew up in Austria and encounters many cultural differences on her way becoming France?s new queen. Although the differences aren?t as huge as those in ?Lost in Translation?, there are quite a few of them.
To compare the three Coppola films seems to me to be a rather great effort with lots of consideration. I wouldn?t say which of them I like the most, nor I like the least. I do think that ?Lost in Translation? is a complete masterpiece. Though I doubt its impact sometimes, because of the few people I know who appreciate its moments. Also, I guess many don?t see beyond its simplistic structure. It?s a film I suppose most people would enjoy watching once, but only a few could watch it twice.
I enjoy watching it every time and from what I mentioned in the beginning it grows on me every time. I like these sorts of films. The type that is on the outside very simplistic and understandable, but on the inside there are depth and hidden meaning. I would recommend it to people who like sad, melancholic feel-good films, because of the theme and emotion. I would also recommend it if you?re looking for a romantic comedy but not are in to the standard Hollywood type. Coppola thinks outside the box and dares to be different. That?s a rare quality in a film director.
You can say, she comes of good stock.
?Lost in Translation? is a film from 2003, made by director Sofia Coppola. Coppola was born into a family already in the film business. Her father Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most well known directors in the industry. She is also related to a composer, a music video director and has actor Nicolas Cage as cousin.
This is her second full-length film. ?The Virgin Suicides? from 2000 was her first. Her third film, ?Marie Antoinette? was released in 2006. ?Lost in Translation? is her most acclaimed film to date. It received three Golden Globes and won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Sofia Coppola also wrote the manuscript and co-produced the film.
The story situates around two American characters during their stay in Tokyo. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a famous American actor who is in Tokyo appearing in a whisky commercial. A young philosophy student named Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) joins her photographer husband when he?s having a photo shoot in Japan. Bob is lonely a lot, since he?s travelling a lot. Between his encounters with the Japanese media he spends most of the time at the hotel. Charlotte also spends a lot of the time at the hotel, mostly because her husband is working the majority of the time. They both feel a great distance to the culture in Japan. One evening they run into each other at the hotel bar and find comfort in cultural likeness.
This film is mostly a study of two people behave in relation to cultural differences. It takes place only during a few days, but we have time to get to know these characters very well. Although rather simplistic scenes follows one another, they are more well thought of and brings more to the story than first catches the eye.
There?s a brilliant scene where Bill Murray, our middle-aged misplaced American actor, encounters the Japanese while working on a video shoot. He asks for directions and his interpreter translates what seems like quite a long answer only to a few short words. Lost in translation. Actually these few words are somewhat presentable for the director?s answer. These things may seem a bit uninspiring but I think they add up to the story theme about cultural differences.
Contrasts take big part in the story. There?s the hectic life of modern Tokyo and than there?s the calmer lives of Bob and Charlotte. The Japanese?s seem to speed things up while the Americans slow it down. Another contrast is the different storytelling. In the beginning they both are alone, slightly depressed and bored to death. There?s this intensely melancholic feeling that describes the moment. Then we they meet thing feeling slowly changes. They find friendship, and go out together having fun. So, there?s the pity and there?s also good fun.
They are two very different people. Yet they find likeness and comfort in each other. There?s almost a feeling of soul mates, there?s such a strong connection between them. Despite the fact that they both have spouses, (Bob even has children) there?s this romantic feeling involved that cannot be ignored.
This is a romantic comedy, however there?s more depth to it than most other typical comedies. There?s also this seriousness about the film that deals with life?s big questions. E.g. ?What is my purpose?? and ?Does marriage get easier?? There are also fewer jokes and no one-liners. I would say it?s more of a romantic story about a friendship with a few comical situations and laughs. Those are some hilarious moments though.
The acting is superb; especially Murray does an outstanding performance. Both him and Johansson capture the heart and soul of their characters. Great cast, I also think the Japanese are great. Maybe a bit stereotypical, but that makes it easier to point out the cultural differences.
The cinematography brilliantly captures the different moods and feelings of the story. Wide-angle camera views of Murray sitting alone on the hotel bed feeling lone and empty. Late at night you can see the skyline and city lights out through the huge windows.
The soundtrack completes the film with wonderfully put together songs. Sofia Coppola has a true vision for what she?s looking for. She is a true artist. She finds every little piece intriguing and vital for the story to live on.
The themes about loneliness and misplaced souls are reappearing in her films. In ?The Virgin Suicides? there are seven teenage girls who portrait the emptiness and depression of such age. In ?Marie Antoinette?, our main character feels out of place from the first step she takes into France. She grew up in Austria and encounters many cultural differences on her way becoming France?s new queen. Although the differences aren?t as huge as those in ?Lost in Translation?, there are quite a few of them.
To compare the three Coppola films seems to me to be a rather great effort with lots of consideration. I wouldn?t say which of them I like the most, nor I like the least. I do think that ?Lost in Translation? is a complete masterpiece. Though I doubt its impact sometimes, because of the few people I know who appreciate its moments. Also, I guess many don?t see beyond its simplistic structure. It?s a film I suppose most people would enjoy watching once, but only a few could watch it twice.
I enjoy watching it every time and from what I mentioned in the beginning it grows on me every time. I like these sorts of films. The type that is on the outside very simplistic and understandable, but on the inside there are depth and hidden meaning. I would recommend it to people who like sad, melancholic feel-good films, because of the theme and emotion. I would also recommend it if you?re looking for a romantic comedy but not are in to the standard Hollywood type. Coppola thinks outside the box and dares to be different. That?s a rare quality in a film director.
You can say, she comes of good stock.
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