Empathy is the key

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2004)

*First of all, I'd like to state that English is not my native language, so I beg your pardon for any bad phrasing*
Lost In Translation is not about Love, nor is it it about love. It's not a comedy, and it's not a romance, though there is some of all these in it. One could say it's about two foreigners in Tokyo, but the location doesn't matter much. I'd say it's more about two lone souls in an alien land who become each other's beacon of normality in an universe which stands beyond their understanding.
That, in itself, is an uncommon plot, but it's not here that lies what makes this movie a masterpiece. It's the way Sofia Coppola gets you to feel exactly what these characters feel without ever mentionning any feeling : this movie is just like a haÃ¯ku, it makes you experience another one's state of mind just by using images and situations. The feelings are not told, shown or described, they're just grown out of yourself. But that's also why so many people don't get this movie : it's an unusual exercise for a spectator, since it doesn't require wit nor taste nor artistical sense but empathy.
Maybe it's not the first time someone tried this in a movie, but it's certainly the first time great acting, writing, photography and directorship all come together to make it a success, and a true piece of art.