Lost in Translation (2003)
Director: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi
Synopsis:
An actor in Japan to film commercials bonds with the lonely young wife of a photographer.
Impressions:
As someone who immersed myself in Japanese culture well before I went there to live, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for someone with no grounding in the milieu, proficiency in the language, etc. Our leads might as well be on an alien planet and that disconnect works very well for the movie. Having done interpretation work myself, my favorite scene is probably the commercial shoot. Even if you don't understand the language, the scene is funny and effective, but if you do know Japanese and can follow the director, it's that much better. I really did like the bond that formed between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's characters. It's a thoughtful little fish out of water story that's worth seeing. Arguably required viewing if you plan on visiting Japan for the first time. ^o^
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