Enjoyable but not Extraordinary

Rating: Null/10 (21 September 2003)

First off, I did enjoy Lost in Translation. All of the actors were great, especially Bill Murray (as usual) and Anna Faris. Bill is always funny, but it's great to see him not play Bill Murray for a change. And Anna is terrific as the vapid American actress. Some say she's playing Cameron Diaz, my mother thought of Kirsten Dunst, but her performance is so apropos she could be anyone. When is she going to get some recognition?
Having said that, I was disappointed by one running theme of the film. Here are two people in a foreign country, presumably for the first time, and they spend a great deal of time sitting in a hotel, bored to tears. Why? Why are they so morbidly bored by this fascinating, new environment? I know I'm a little biased because I've been to Japan and I loved it, but I can't imagine any (safe) place on Earth where I wouldn't want to spend all day seeing new things. Language barrier or not, there's a hell of a lot to see in Japan. Similarly, Japanese people are not portrayed very well in the film. There's a lot of stereotyping here, and while stereotypes are all grounded in reality, I would have liked to see something, someone, or anything, shown in a positive light.
But I can't deny the quality of the movie. When it goes for a laugh, it works. When they're just talking, the conversation is interesting. So while I don't see this movie as "great," I do recommend it.