Here and there

Back to Tokyo, the scene of her greatest triumph(at least so far).

Who is she making fool of this time?...:)

By far the most overrated director in Hollywood. Another movie about bored boring rich people gazing out of the windows of expensive hotel rooms. This time no Bill Murray who saves the show by improvising over a non-script.

Who is she making fool of this time?...

Herself.

tigris: I'm not so sure about "most overrated directer in Hollywood" because she has not as yet attained such a lofty status. But the film was shot in 27 days on a $4 million budget and grossed $45 mil. and $75 mil. worldwide. Even if you dislike the film, you can't argue with the success it had.

Never mentioned awards, but it was nominated for four Academy Awards,2003: Best Picture/Best Director (Lord of the Rings won both),Best Actor, Bill Murray(won by Sean Penn,"Mystic River")but DID win for Best Original Screenplay.

Surprised she was allowed back into the country.

Lost In Translation inspired me to move to Japan... Nothing like the night view from the New York Bar.

The shots of Shinjuku's lights and nightlife in the film were hypnotic (and still impress me in person to this day)

Why the media obsesssion with always having to mention someone's age?

What's with the matronly dress. It's unbefitting.

This movie's release is still 3 months away here in Japan. Bit early to be making the media circuits around here, isn't it?

Truth be told, "Mr. Baseball" spoke to me more about life in Japan than "Lost in Translation" did. Guess I have been here too long.

By the way, for you Sofia Coppola/"Lost in Translation" haters: The film was a co-production with the Japanese distibutor and producer company Tohokushinsha. So they share some of the blame if you didn't like it.

Yeah, that dress is not very flattering on her.

Harry Gatto-- You know I've always wondered that myself. No idea.

Incidentally, for those who never saw the movie, some people were upset at what they perceived as negative portrayals of Japan and Japanese, especially with cliches and stereotypes. And while I can sympathize with that viewpoint I think the film was more tongue in cheek and not to be taken seriously.

I loved dorff in Blade.

I loved Dorff on golf.

Dorff on Golf is a 1987 comedy film starring Tim Conway

I watched Lost in Translation again this past weekend. It's one of two movies -- the other being the German-Japanese film Cherry Blossoms -- that I watch when I need to get my "Japan fix."

I really enjoyed Coppola's prior film The Virgin Suicides, and people who think she's overrated as a director would probably say the same about Yasujiro Ozu. (In my opinion, the winner of the Michael Cimino Lifetime Achievement Award for the consistent, lousiest directing ought to be Quentin Tarentino.)

I enjoyed Lost in Translation - it was funny. The critics aren't too good for this one though and it is being classified as boring.

Cherry Blossoms is a disgrace to the original Japanese movie which was a masterpiece and Japan.

@chukers, Lost in Translation is about a foreigner in Tokyo, NOT Japan. Tokyo is nothing like Japan.

I'm glad that Stephen is back.

@yabits: How can you compare Sofia Coppola to Ozu? I thought the Virgin Suicides was very good because it had something creepy lurking beneath the surface, but every one of her films since then has become less substantive and more pretentious. Lost in Translation has its moments, though none are there when you watch it again. Marie Antoinette is awful in almost every respect. This new one is supposed to be worse, with Sofia stripping the narrative down to nothing. People driving around, doing nothing, talking about nothing. I love minimal filmmaking (like Ozu), but only when it knows what it's going after (and I don't necessarily mean linear plot) and knows when to stop. Ozu was great at choosing seemingly pedestrian moments that still resonate deeply. Sofia seems to want to manufacture moments through simplicity alone, as though the style itself will distinguish itself from the usual Hollywood mainstream fluff. She needs to get over herself in the same way Tarantino does.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Ozu is not relevant to this discussion.

That Marie Antointte movie was total garbage plus kirsten dunst is a BAD ACTRESS in that movie. Very Bad.

stephen dorff was great in "Blade" and also Biohazard 4. If I made a mistake these actors really look alike. sorry

weeeeeeee

@plasticmonkey: Your thoughtful post was a great read.

I've seen Lost in Translation about a half-dozen times and its best moments still shine as warmly as ever. I have not seen Marie Anoinette and so can't comment on it. I will see Somewhere when it comes out on DVD, but from the many reviews and descriptions I've read of it, Coppola uses much of the minimalist form I thought worked so well for her previous movies.

She is not yet a mature director, and for all I know she may never become one. (I don't know why it would be off limits to compare her work and style to that of other directors, but OK.) Let me try this: The pedestrian moments that resonate deeply in some films mainly do so today because we look upon them as relics of a time that is gone forever. AND, because those pieces were part of a larger series of films with a consistency to their overall purpose. Modern directors are nowhere near that ambitious, and producers wouldn't back up that ambition with cash if they did have it.

So, we're left having to look for "it" where we can find it. That said, I am really looking forward to Somewhere.

Gomineko: same here same here. LIT is an awesome movie.