A beautiful film that respects its audience more than most

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2020)

I like reviewing older movies because I feel more comfortable doing spoiler reviews for them, and with 'Lost in Translation' that gives me a lot more freedom to talk about the things I need to. Prior to watching this I really felt like I could fall anywhere on the spectrum with this one. I had heard a lot of people over the years say it was boring and unwatchable, while others said it was a masterpiece. Having a very slow and eventless film is a risk, because if the charisma of the characters doesn't come off then you have nothing to fall back on. Luckily for 'Lost in Translation' it worked perfectly. The result is an incredibly unique and beautiful film.
I saw someone make quite an insightful observation about the film that I really liked, and so I will borrow it, that Tokyo is almost like a third main character in the film. I've seen a lot of films set in foreign cities, but in this one the fact that they are in Tokyo plays into things big time. It adds immensely to the lonely vibe that the film so expertly creates. It's such an immensely foreign culture that it really feels like it is these two against the world.
The thing I love most about the film though is that it can mean different things to different people. The spoiler I wanted to talk about was that in the two lead character's final interaction Bill Murray's character whispers something unheard by the audience into Scarlett Johansson's ear. I love the respect this scene pays to the audience, but I also love that it implies what was said should be different to everyone depending on their view of the film. This isn't a conventional love story, and some could even go as far as to say it isn't a love story at all. Where you fall on the spectrum should determine what you think was said. That instantly became one of my favourite scenes I've ever seen in a film.
The people who find this film boring, or uninspired I don't think are missing the point - I simply think they can't relate to it. I believe this is a film for anyone who has ever been lonely, or travelled abroad and felt aggressively homesick, or been in a bad relationship. If you don't get it that is probably a good thing and you should feel blessed in a way. But equally if you can understand the beauty of this film then that is a unique gift all of its own. I loved this film and if you haven't already seen it, I would highly recommend doing so.