Lost In Translation (2003) Full Reaction

love them too! is just so natural and a breath of fresh air seeing something like this. almost like reading a novel based on true events. Bill Murray did it pretty good!

"Kindred spirits, no matter where they are; how far away they are from each other - even if they are in different dimensions - will always find each other." To continue where I left off in my previous comment: I think what confuses a lot of people as to the nature of Bob and Charlotte's relationship is how unconventional it is and not just on the subject of age, but in how they interact with each other; there are romantic glances and romance-teasing kisses, but yet there's also a mutually respectable distance and sincere non-romantic consideration for each other. Marian saw the romantic side of it, Joy saw it differently and that's really how it usually goes with anyone that watches this movie, a side is usually chosen as to what they think the relationship was because there's both a romantic and non-romantic side to it on display throughout the movie and their development of their relationship. And I think that's what best encapsulates what Lost In Translation is making a commentary on or examining about human relationships. It's not only Bob and Charlotte that are lost. And it's not just the language barrier or culture-shock of their situation in Japan that's leaving things Lost In Translation. Let's look at their partner's respectively: Lydia, Bob's wife, seems almost indifferent to Bob and his presence in her and their kids' lives. She even in a very shrugging, dismissive tone suggests Bob stay in Japan if he likes it so much there. Charlotte's husband John is constantly distracted if not aloof about his relationship with Charlotte. Bob talks about once upon a time he and Lydia would have fun together being along for the same ride in life, until somewhere along the lines, she got off that ride and either expected Bob to do the same or got off without even looking back to see if he did or would. Charlotte clearly saw something in her husband previously that made her want to marry him that she came to found out wasn't there - look at the pictures Charlotte revisits, she's constantly looking at John with love, while John is more focused on the camera, the shot, the angle. Charlotte even says tearfully to her friend Laura over the phone, "i don't know who I married." You can also tell John has a very superficial and shallow outlook with the way he talks about the Japanese band he was hired to take pictures of and how they, "should be nerdy like they really are" instead of the Rock & Roll style the manager/producer wanted him to capture in his pictures. Then as Joy pointed out, how John was all "yeah, yeah" with Kelly, the actress that had just finished shooting a film with Keanu Reeves. Notice how John at first almost forgot about his wife standing next to him, before inattentively introducing her - yet as Kelly keeps talking up John as her favorite photographer and how she only wants him to shoot her, John suddenly starts putting an arm around Charlotte and kind of forcefully pulling her into him as if bringing her into frame for Kelly. Charlotte was clearly uncomfortable with his actions, as she pulled away from him because she got what he was doing. It was a shallow reaffirmation of their marriage. While he was forcefully tugging her in with an arm, his eyes were mostly on Kelly. Then when Charlotte snarkily remarks on Kelly's attempt at being clever, John sides with Kelly, which takes Charlotte aback. She thought her husband of all people would get her sense of humor, but instead he criticizes her for it. For Bob, his relationship with Lydia back then was everything, but for Lydia it was just one moment in her life that she had emotionally moved on from. You can tell how it still hurts for him to talk about it when he shares with Charlotte how she doesn't even need him to be there. With Charlotte and John? Charlotte is a philosophy major, collects and listens to CD's on spirituality, clearly looked to life for meaning, for purpose, for something of substance that can maybe last, hoping to feel something from what she sees; but John just looked at life through the lens of a camera, capturing one image before moving on to the next. Not interested in what feels the best, but what "looks" the best. Their mirrored situations of disillusionment makes us realize an unpleasant reality about human relationships and how frail, fragile and fleeting they really are, especially when it comes to romance: no matter whether it's 25 years (Bob/Lydia's marriage) or 2 years (Charlotte/John's marriage) you can still come to discover that you didn't know the other person as well as you thought you did and/or just as tragically, they didn't know you as well as you thought they did.💔 Lost In Translation is the title of the film for multiple reasons. I think Bjork said it best, "there's definitely, definitely no logic to Human Behavior. There is no map and certain--tyyy!" 🎶 I know what you're thinking, what a downer! Well, actually... no. :) Marian even said this movie didn't have a happy ending, which is more realistic, but I say this movie and story had a perfectly happy ending - just not in the way we expect our happy endings, again, especially on the subject of romance and human relationships. You see, Bob and Charlotte actually got to experience something very special and what most people don't: a relationship that no one, not even their own silly human selves can ever take away from them. Even with that one bump in the road when Bob got a little too drunk and slept with that lounge singer, because their relationship wasn't "officially" a romantic one, didn't take away all the good times they had together - however brief their time together was - because through it all what they found when they found each other was something that could never be replaced, moved on from, or diminished through time: themselves. I'm compelled to spell it out how exactly, but I don't know I feel it might spoil the cinematic/musical nuance of the story - and it's not like that it's that hard to decipher! :P I think one of the best scenes that shows the specialness of Bob and Charlotte's relationship - besides the final kissing scene in their happy goodbye - is the scene in the bed, where they're there sleeping on Bob's hotel bed side by side, sharing moment of intimacy as they talk about their lives and even turn to face each other and look into each other's eyes, but because there's still distance between them on the bed and nothing physically crosses that line we think oh, it's just 2 friends sharing a bed....but, wait! These two have just met each other and are BARELY getting to know one another, not to mention, taboo-of-taboos....he's a much older guy and she's in her early 20s! Just the situation alone is flirting with disaster, right?? It's okay though, because there's no physical contact....but then there is. When Bob places his hand over Charlotte's foot. And it's not just Bob reaching out to Charlotte, Charlotte was also reaching out to Bob, as she's curled up with her feet sticking out so far that they're right there making contact with Bob's hip. 😲Le gasp! Well, now everyone's confused! The people that thought this was going to be more father/daughter are starting to feel their boat getting rocked (then completely sunk with the kissing at the end), the "just friends" crowd sees a big ol' hole in that angle because they're just now getting to know each other, so they're not actually friends and the 100% romantic crowd is pointing and going, "Exhibit B!" Then the totally-not-romantic crowd says, "but that can't be romance, otherwise they would have had sex! And there would be more overtly sexual flirting!" This is why a good number of people IMHO, even fans of the film and Bob & Charlotte's relationship miss out on the real special beauty of their story, this film and their relationship and the commentary it's making on human relationships with both camera shots, dialogue and music alike; love is very much involved, as is romantic attraction, but the relationship they achieved wasn't one that came up short of romance or even side-stepped it, instead it actually surpassed it. :) That's why at the end, even though they're both parting ways (for now or physically forever, depending what you think Bob said to Charlotte) they're both the happiest and content with themselves and where they're going (Bob in the taxi, Charlotte through the crowd) in their lives that they had ever been throughout the movie, and likely since they had been in a LONG time. If you take a closer look at the end you'll see Bob's face is the most relaxed and at ease as it's ever been, he even takes a few "releasing" deep breaths. And Charlotte, as she walks away, turns from teary eyed sadness, to a hopeful bounce in her step and optimistic look in her eyes. 💕 Like I said earlier, what this movie is about, what their story/relationship is about is not that hard to decipher, the big hint is in the title of the movie, as well. When so much is lost in translation, there's nothing like finally seeing, knowing and understanding. To quote Bob's karaoke performance of Elvis Costello & The Attractions song, "(What's so funny) about peace, love and understanding?" :)

AutumnInNewEngland

I love these types of movies. How do you adapt in a new environment? Bill Murray did it very well.

Dajefe70