Runcible Blog

I saw Lost in Translation tonight at Loews in Methuen. I overheard a few remarks like "four thumbs down" and "I think that was the worst movie I've ever seen", but I have a feeling that we weren't all watching the same film. At the beginning of the movie some people were laughing enthusiastically at parts that weren't very funny. It was almost as if they were expecting to see a movie like Groundhog Day or What About Bob? because Bill Murray played the starring role. Expectations often lead to disappointment.

While there were some funny bits, comedy wasn't the point, and those who walked out midway through probably didn't "get" the movie's point. To be honest, I didn't really get it either, but I still liked it. I think the premise of a a young lady falling for Bill Murray seems far-fetched, but then again what do I know about young ladies? I do know that out of the perhaps 100,000 frames in which Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) graces her presence, not one is less than strikingly gorgeous. Am I exaggerating? Well, maybe, but seriously, is it possible to take a bad picture of this girl?

I envy anyone who's ever seen her in person. That's how beautiful she is.

Eh-hem. Anyway, back to the movie. The film is heavy on mood and emotions. Although I couldn't relate to their characters, I felt for them. Maybe I felt with them. I can very much relate to Bob Harris's (Bill Murray) conflict and his longing, and Charlotte's search for purpose is not far from anybody's.

But more than anything else, I missed those characters when I left the theater. I wanted to stay in Japan; I didn't want to leave with Bob Harris (figuratively speaking). I suppose connecting with the characters is the most you can expect from any film, so in that sense Lost in Translation is a great success -- at least for me.