Lost In Translation: Review By Dan

For anyone that's ever felt empty and completely disconnected (see: entire human race at one point or another), this is a film that can be completely related to. Set in Tokyo, Japan, Lost In Translation is at it's best during its quiet scenes (of which there are a lot of, this is a thinking person's movie).

I guess I loved it a lot more then most of my friends since I am a Pisces, a deep thinker. I don't necessarily need excessive dialog to fill me in on how the characters feel and what is going on, I like to process what I'm seeing, and Translation allows me to do that almost throughout the entire movie. It doesn't need to be said, but it's very touching (literally) with the scene of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannsen in the hallway, and she leans on him. It isn't that she's just leaning on him, it's that at that moment, you know they feel a very human connection in the mess that is their lives, and I love that. And the whole movie sustains this feeling, with a powerful, hopeful ending.

Tokyo is beautifully displayed, it definitely makes me want to visit Japan one day and see those sites for myself.

And besides being a drama, the movie isn't without it's humor. It's pointed out several times throughout the movie that Bill Murray is a foot taller then everyone else around him, dealing with amenities designed for shorter people, and things of that nature. He also does a commercial bit that is hilarious with all it's takes.

Even for their age differences, Murray and ScarJo have wonderful chemistry. The story benefits from their relationship not going the predictable route and them having an explicit sexual affair, but instead focusing on how through their friendship with each other, they feel that connection again that we all crave and lose at times.

This movie makes my heart glad.