Word of Mouth Review: Lost in Translation

Rating: 9/10 (4 July 2011)

Review Score: 9/10 – Beautiful Cinematics and an alien culture create some of the best atmospheres for a uniquer love story than most movies.
Lost In Translation is the story about aging actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray) as he goes to Japan to film some whiskey commercials. Along the way he meets and shares a deep relationship with Charlotte (Scarlet Johansen) in a down to earth and adult relationship.
Where Translation manages to wow and impress is largely in its visuals. There are several expanses of the movie that simply observe the city of Tokyo and other areas of Japan. It examines its plant life, parks, industry, religions, cultures, all without a single word of explanation. This works as it allows the viewer to take it in and form their own opinions about these things. They aren't just placed out of context however, they are always following a character or both the main characters and have reasons for being there.
This also plays largely into the comedy of Translation, as Bill Murray winds his way through various media sets from photography to film to TV and even his encounters with a Japanese prostitute and hotel staff are rife with cultural humorous and add to the entire shroud of being misplaced.
Being misplaced is a huge central theme of the movie. It accomplishes this by having its American characters in a Japanese setting and going through the most zany and out of whack parts of that culture. The characters both feel misplaced in their relationships and their futures (Bob Harris' failures as an actor and Charlotte's useless seeming position in her marriage and job (she has a degree in Philosophy)). But I do wonder if this effect can truly be felt by everyone especially a person from Japan perhaps, might understand the physical comedy of things like a shower that's too short for Bill Murray, but what about the cultural displacement? So as such, this is the films only true downfall is that it does rely on cultures to shift the difference and apply the alienation to its characters. While this could probably be easily observed by anyone, I do wonder if it can be felt by audiences that aren't innately so Americanized. Of course, that being said, its like having a Japanese person watch an episode of Jersey Shore, and even most Americans know whats wrong with that public face, right? A bit off track there, oh well.
Anyways, Lost in Translation is heavy with cinematic sections, a good unique love story, and a very rich and powerful setting that impresses even as it enchants. It is a great movie, and no one should miss it.