Lost in Translation

[Gatehouse77]

We watched this last night. DH's choice from a 'critically acclaimed' list.

What are we missing? We all found it a bit, meh 🤷‍♀️ and can't work out (even after looking to see why it's on the list) how it got plaudits.

One of the kids asked if it was to do with when it was released (2003) but I can't see that either.

Are we just unemotional?

I watched it when it first came out, after all the fabulous reviews and hype it received. I thought it was a crock of shit.

I love this film, one of my all time favourites. However I can see that you either connect with it or you don’t. For me it reminded me of extreme jet lag and being in a place (China) that was so utterly foreign and just surrendering to the strangeness.

Do you travel much? Have you travelled by yourself?

I think you either connect with it or you don’t. I used to put this film on after a night out when I wasn’t quite tired enough to go to bed (when I was still single and alone in the flat). It made me feel less lonely.

I just think that it means you're not very deep thinkers, nothing wrong with that but personally I loved it

I thought it was shit too. And wasn't it Japan they were in, not China? I hated the 'hee hee, aren't the Japanese teeny weeny?' moments.

I thought that when it came out!

DH and I love this film, it's one of our all time favourites.

I love the story, the "foreign-ness" of it, the music, the actors, their relationship. For me, the film depicts so much about growing up and growing old, life, marriage and relationships.

A close friend totally disliked it, she thought "nothing happens" in it and couldn't even finish the film 🤔 Horses for courses, as they say.

One of my favourite films.

Top 5 for me.

Perfectly expresses the feeling of loneliness, despite being surrounded by so many people.

I went to the Hyatt bar in Japan and fangirled all over the place.

@GreyGardens88

I just think that it means you're not very deep thinkers, nothing wrong with that but personally I loved it

How patronising!

I thought it was a pile of self-conscious wank. Bloody awful film.

I love it, so relaxing to watch

Stereotypical tripe, karaoke, whiskey, bad showers, patronising man perves over girl young enough to be his daughter. Disappointed in you, Sofia!

I really love it. Bill Murray is wonderful and everything is just so wonderfully awkward. I know lots of people hate it, meh...

It summed up perfectly for me the strangeness and sometimes loneliness of travelling alone. I did it a lot of work back then so it really resonated. I can totally see how it might not though if you never have.

I don’t really remember too much other than the music went really well with and I came out feeling quite emotional. At the time I thought its soundtrack was second only to the train spotting soundtrack.

I’m tempted to rewatch it.

I love this film. So much so that when I went to Tokyo with DH, I insisted we visited the hotel. The entire place was deathly quiet, apart from the bar, which was full of people who were clearly fans of the movie. It's also in a very quiet government area, ie completely soulless. We got a seat at the actual bar and couldn't get a table unfortunately. It's also very, very small.

Excellent song, though (if you can get the South Park emos out of your head)

And not forgetting this one

A great film-I love it! Perfectly sums up so much about loneliness, relationships & life in a hotel room.

It's so well put together - the music, the cinematography, that quiet chemistry, the weirdness of Japan, the isolation in the midst of chaos. Thanks OP - you've just inspired me to dig it out. Really want to see Tokyo now. Can totally understand why people don't 'get it' though. But each to their own.

I love this film, it breaks my heart but it's perfect, the direction is beautiful, the music is brilliant, the comedy, the loneliness, the heartache - perfection!

I have a soft spot for it, despite the moments of Japanese stereotyping that seem to come from an altogether cruder film. It looks beautiful, and Bill Murray is wonderful. Scarlett Johanssen is also good as someone young, privileged, confused and a bit vapid. And Giovanni Ribisi and Anna Farris are wonderfully awful.

I love this film! I did live in Tokyo for a few months when I was 18. I was doing TV commercials there. So I completely and utterly related to this film when I watched it.

Yeah that film is a real marmite type film. I get it perfectly well, but I just cba with the painful introspection. It's the same as the series Normal People. I don't mind character study type films and tv shows, but some I find so pretentious and boring I can't be doing with it. The PP who made the comment about those who aren't deep thinkers not appreciating it is just being rude.

I watched it because I stayed in that hotel when I went to Tokyo on holiday. Great hotel by the way with great cheesecake and a lovely restaurant.

I think you need to have been an expat or similar to relate to that type of loneliness.

I thought the whole film was amazing; DH who usually agrees with me on films thought it looked pretty but not much more than that, though did like how it reminded him of us coping in Japan for a few weeks.