Lost me after 20 minutes

Rating: Null/10 (5 January 2004)

I have more respect for Sofia Coppola's acting in "Godfather III" than I have for her writing and direction on this film. Maybe the critics felt sorry for her after the savaging they gave her back in 1990. There just doesn't seem to be anything here to warrant all the awards and attention this film is getting.
Bill Murray gives the same performance he's given many times in the past, except he makes a sad face every once in a while. How could anyone say this is his best work after seeing "Groundhog Day"? My main impression of Scarlett Johansson is watching her sit in a window sill looking at the Tokyo traffic go by.
There were many films made in the '50s and '60s dealing with boredom and alienation - Bill and Scarlett are even shown watching what is arguably the best of them, "La Dolce Vita", on Japanese TV - but most of them managed to make their point without boring and alienating the audience. I can't decide whether "Lost in Translation" or "Cold Mountain" is the most overrated movie of 2003. January 27th, when the Oscar nominations are announced, will be a sad day for me.