This movie is NOT for the Japanese viewers

Rating: Null/10 (22 April 2004)

In this website, I wrote for "The Last Samurai" that I very much enjoyed the movie regardless of some of the minor "inaccurate" depictions, and even went on to say that the movie gave me the impression that it may have infact been dedicated to the Japanese viewers from the start. By contrast, this "Lost in Translation" movie gave me the impression that the movie may not have had the slightest idea of the impression that the Japanese viewers may have after watching this movie.
The only message that this movie can deliver to the Japanese is "I have spent some time in Japan and this is what I find so ridiculously strange and funny about your people. Yes, I know I haven't spent enough time in Japan to know better about the REAL Japan. Yes, I know I did blow up the situations to make it an easier laugh for the American viewers. But I don't really see why not. After all, I don't really care what you think about what I think about you, because you're not the main subject of this movie. This movie is about two Americans who just happen to be in Japan at the time, and not about you at all. Therefore, don't take it too personal." How can viewers in Japan, after gradually digesting the above message in the course of watching through this movie, still be able to fully appreciate the main story of the movie concerning these two lonely Americans and connect with them?
Imagine this, a Japanese version of "Lost in Translation which goes on in the following manner:
All Americans appear wearing cowboy hats, eating hamburgers everyday and are extremely overweight, with no lines in the movie. The situations are being blown up and they are acting very silly, providing Japanese viewers an easy laugh. The only American who gets to speak in the movie is Hulk Hogan, the wrestler (playing the "Matthew Minami" role in the movie) who does his usual performance on the ring. Can American viewers still be able to appreciate what the movie was actually trying to deliver (i.e. two lonely people)?
Meanwhile, I have nothing against Bill or Scarlett. I think they did a decent job.
All I can say is that this movie is definitely NOT for the Japanese viewers to watch. Coppola may say "If you don't want to watch, you don't really have to and I wasn't expecting you to." and that is everything that she is.
Sophia, grow up and stop pretending to be a cosmopolitan when you are only more American than anyone else. Show some respect to the other parts of the world for a change.