Why the Hype?! Focus needs to get into it.

Rating: 1/10 (20 February 2004)

Sofia Coppola's film is nothing short of bland. It's only saving graces are its perspective of Americans viewing Japanese culture and Ana Faris's acting, albeit her character was nerve-racking.
The exposition of setting up each main character worked well, but bringing the two together was executed in far too convenient a manner, nor was the chemistry quite right.
As with movies such as "A Thin Red Line," only one scene came across as viable and intellectually stimulating - the scene discussing life, marriage, and future.
BAFTA awarding Murray and Johansson, and the Academy nominating the former, just seems purely inane, for neither actor's role carried much challenge or deep performance. As Patrick Stewart says on a TNT commercial, "Drama is life heightened." I found no such drama in this film.
Focus Features claims to make original pictures, in opposition to the endless cliche movies of Hollywood; however, the three I've seen so far have had unoriginal plots, bland stories, and sparsely challenging roles. Before viewing "Lost in Translation," I had seen "Gosford Park" and "Swimming Pool." Ludivine Sagnier was the only worthwhile aspect of the latter, and the plot of the former was not "original," as the Academy had awarded it - "Memento" was far more "original" a screenplay. I just hope that the ultra original premise of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is not diluted by Focus's inept execution of film.