Lost Without Translation

Rating: 6/10 (19 April 2004)

As an American who travels to Japan frequently, I found this film parochially American. I also found it offensive.
The parochial part is the fact that the Japanese dialog is presented without subtitles. It is, of course, intended to convey the notion of a totally bewildering environment for the main characters. Unfortunately for the film, I understood the Japanese dialog almost perfectly--as do millions of Japanese, so I cannot feel that sense of bewilderment.

It's offensive to the Japanese. There is one scene in the film--at a hospital--that would never happen in Japan. No hospital--I don't care how tiny--would persist on speaking pure Japanese if they sensed the patient did not understand. They would do their best to speak understandably or find someone who can, and English speakers abound in hospitals.

Another offensive part is the notion that Hollywood is trying to present its own morality as somehow acceptable and even majestic. The principle character, a washed-up actor older than dirt, finds a normal monogamous marriage somehow draining enough to be attracted to a female child (in her very early twenties) while on a business trip away. Sorry, it may be a normal reaction for an older man to be so attracted--but it hardly qualifies at any sympathetic level. This female child, also in a monogamous married relationship and similarly drained, finds this geezer somehow appealing enough to approach him in a manner that is hard to confuse with anything but a come-on.
I'm not going to go into how far the relationship develops, but it can safely be put into the unfaithful category as far as their spouses are concerned. I would recommend viewing it--barely. I gave this film a 6 out of ten.