Stranger in a Strange Land

Rating: 10/10 (30 March 2005)

I feel this movie had an old soul nostalgia about it. I'm not trying to sound condescending when I say this either. It's the subtle, painful realization of being a "stranger in a strange land", made even more strange by being in a different culture. I could relate to Bob's experience of being alone in Tokyo. A few years ago, while traveling to India, my plane stopped there overnight, and I felt the same way. It's hard to describe in a few words, but this movie really did it for me.
The feeling of isolation in a crowded environment sort of captures it. And the hustle and bustle of the city- the insanely manic activity of the Japanese people was emphasized repeatedly (that scene in the arcade where the young man is jumping around while hitting different colored buttons on an arcade game, for example)- culture shock.
The love expressed, or even more movingly- implied- between the two main characters was so finely balanced in it's nuance (as compared to the overly blatant expression of outright sexuality, and the mad rush to express it, so common in today's movies) that it kept me on the verge of wanting more to happen. It was a continual tease that mimics the reality of life (for me). I've experienced so many "what ifs" in this life that, to think about them all would be too much- too painful. Thank G*d at least we're given a chance to experience a "what if" that realizes itself before our eyes, and in a meaningful and loving way.
We all have a rendezvous with our Self at some point in our evolution, and I think LIT captures that reality between two souls connecting at that point in their lives (regardless of their physical age).