Overrated -- John Hurt Was Right

Rating: Null/10 (9 February 2004)

Not a good movie. Well-photographed, the shots are nicely composed. But that's about all you can say about it. There's a strong current of racism and xenophobia in this film. I'm not saying that just to be politically correct. If you've ever travelled anywhere outside the United States, you'll notice a difference between American tourists. There are those who feel humbled by the experience of being the outsider and have genuine curiousity about and respect for the people and culture of the land they're visiting. Then, there are those who want to maintain a bubble, only making contact with fellow Americans and clinging to their USA Today. Sofia's characters seem more like the latter, even though they make the rounds of Tokyo and hang out with some Japanese people at one point. But her view of Japanese people is as comical little short folks who like to behave like children. Whereas the Americans are so sly and sophisticated. Even though the Americans in the movie are more childish than their Japanese hosts. There's also a strong ick factor in the relationship between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannsen. He's just too damn old for her. Sure, there's no actual on-screen comsummation of the relationship, and he's even shown sleeping with a woman who's only old enough to be his daughter, passing up Scarlett, who's young enough to be his granddaughter. But the ending cops out by making it rather clear that they may have a future together. You don't hear what Bill whispers in her ear, but you see her teary-eyed smile and the prolonged embrace between them. Since both live in Los Angeles, you can surmise that an offering of further contact is made once both get back home, that they have found "true love." Yuck. Bill Murray's performance is okay, but nothing ground-breaking. Ms. Scarlett is alright, too, but nothing to write home about. You watch this movie and think about the fact that if the writer/director weren't the daughter of Francis Coppola, it would not have been made. Period. Even if you think the film has merit, it's too slight and glacially paced to have ever gotten financing if daddy weren't the executive producer. The script would have gone in the waste basket. Nepotism always trumps real talent in the film business.