Lost in Translation (2003)

It was an absolutely brilliant movie.

I didn't know what it would be like and I was gobsmacked - acting, music, cinematography, mood.

Love the film and it certainly made a big impression on me at the time. The soundtrack is perfect for the visuals. The film pulls off that trick of being simultaneously melancholic and uplifting.

I actually think Anna Faris is brilliant in it. She represents one of those cringy and annoying American tourists perfectly. I recently watched May, a film she made around the same time as Lost in Translation, and her character is OTT and bonkers in that film as well.

I don't think Coppola has really hit those heights since but On The Rocks has a similar vibe and is great fun.

It's a movie that makes a point of leaving things to the viewer to interpret, most famously the unheard words exchanged at the end. The title works on multiple levels, from the obvious - a rambling speech in Japanese translated to one sentence in English - to the more subtle ways the protagonists don't fully understand what they are experiencing in Japan itself, in the Japanese people they meet (far from a representative sample), and eventually in each other. The hotel isolates them from the city, and Bob's "handlers" isolate him from the people, until he and Charlotte make a break for it, for a while.

I saw it when it was released. And I thought it was one of the most boring things I had ever seen. I rewatched it couple of years ago and I actually enjoyed it. It is slow, but I appreciated certain aspects of it that I didn't when I was in my early 20's when I first saw it.

Great soundtrack too.

But Bill Murray was punching way above his weighty with the Scarlett Johansson. I know he didn't actually seal the deal on the movie (at least I don't think they did), in reality, she would have told him to sod off and stop acting like a creep.

Agreed, even at the time, the "Rip my stockings" scene always gave me "Me so solly" vibes. But yeah, it looks so beautiful and really highlights a city I really love.

I went to Tokyo with my niece many years ago. I had been before and knew my way around the subway system quite well (Not as bas as it seems). Anyway, we timed our visit to coincide with as many festivals as possible. The biggest being Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa. I wanted her to see the place BEFORE the 100s of thousands turn up so we went there about 7AM. There were people these setting up etc and we were probably the only westerners there at the time. My niece had dyed bright red hair at the time. This tiny little old woman in traditional outfit (Kimono, tabi, elaborate hair, paper umbrella etc) came up to her. The old lady had her hair bright red also. She starts talking to my niece - Niece had no Japanese, I had minimal Japanese. But she starts with comparing hair colour and then, given her gestures, starts talking about the festival, assuming we were there for it. Shows her her clothes and brings her over to one of the floats (Presumably the one she was involved with) and starts pointing to various aspects of the temple (the foxes with red cravats etc). I basically stepped away, camera down. That was just for them. My niece's little "Lost in Translation" moment.

Was the same for me, one of my favourite films ever and really solidified the idea in my head of seeing Tokyo.

Ive been twice with a third trip planned for next year!

The soundtrack is absolutely perfect too. The shoegazing/dream pop music against the background noise of Tokyo sort of set the tone of the film wonderfully.

I think I’m going to have to watch it again this weekend.

Had to go for a drink in the bar in the Park Hyatt. Even without the film it’s worth going to for the stunning views of the city.

Went to the shrine that Charlotte went to as well.

I had plans to go and see it with some friends in the cinema back in 2003 but they fell through... still haven't watched it to this day! 😅

Now's a good time to buy Yen:

I was over in October for two weeks and the yen currency conversion was crazy good. Made the whole trip a lot cheaper than I thought it was going to be!

I only saw the movie once when it came out and then coincidentally watched it a few nights ago.

I lived in Japan(not Tokyo but have spent a lot of time there) for a few years in the intervening years.

Sometimes if you watch movie 20 years later you might feel differently about it,you're at a different place in your life etc.However it still connected with me all these years later.It's a great film,the atmosphere, the music the chemistry and the star of the show is the city.

Pretty certain that this is probably trolling but just in case not...

She's at least in her 20's in the movie as she's already married and has finished college. As for "preying" on her, if you actually watch the film she initiates most of the physical contact between them and is constantly glancing at him, far more than him at her. The final culmination of her supposed victimisation is a hug leading to a 2 second kiss on the lips followed by a kiss on the cheek. That's it. I think you're being a smidge hyperbolic in your criticism.