A Glorified Vacation Video

Rating: 1/10 (30 April 2006)

I know people seem to love this film, and you know, more power to them. But there's just something about it that rubs me the wrong way. I'm all for minimalism... being slow to reveal what happens in your story, etc.... but this film had nothing. It was nothing. It was a completely autobiographical piece where Sofia used Ms. Johansen as her doppleganger to complain about the distant relationship with her then-husband, and to comment on human loneliness.
But there's a good way to comment on human loneliness, and a bad way. This, undeniably, is one of the worst ways. Static, quiet stretches where nothing interesting is happening. sure, its artsy and pretentious, but it doesn't really prove anything except that the writer is uncreative, both in her subject matter (a vacation to Tokyo) and the way she spends her time (inane nothingness, rather than productivity).
Much like Was Anderson, this film seems to revel in wasting Bill Murray. A comedic genius, he is degraded into acting bored for almost three hours. Why is this? Why do people think Bill Murray acting bored is funny? The man is capable of great things, yet unimaginative hacks make careers on sticking a camera at him as he deadpans. Its insulting.
I do not truly think this movie deserves a "1," but with so many people who want to appear intelligent or "with it" giving it a "10," I feel its my place to offset it. Much poorer than most people would have you believe, and utterly uncreative. It made me wish Sofia Copolla had never been born.