Truly fine film--except for that pesky boom mic.!

Rating: 7/10 (2 October 2003)

This film is unique in many ways. What I liked most is the effect that has lingered with me since I saw the movie last week. It's a feeling that I was in Japan with some people I got to know--but now that I'm home I miss them and wish I got to know them better. So much was said without dialogue: A smile, a glance, a yawn. Both the leads were perfect. Not flawless characters, but real and likeable people.
But why the boom mic in so many scenes? Was everything done in one take? Couldn't the tops of the shots be cropped? Did nobody notice?
This came sooo close to being a perfect movie. But that intrusive, pesky boom forced me to give Lost in Translation a "7".
I truly hope things will be cleaned-up for the director's cut.