Lost in Translation

This movie is a masterpiece. The subtle humour, fun storyline, and nice moral ended up with a really great, well-made movie. It would probably be pretty boring for younger kids, and there is a scene that takes place in a strip club, but it's great for older kids and adults

Lost in Translation, has been my favorite film for a while now. Now, I'm not saying that by watching it, it will be exactly the same for you too. However, this film is excellent and portrays the character development in an intricate and mature way. Now saying this, the film is a little outdated as proved by the portrayal of the Japanese culture and race as quirky and often mocks the 'r' and 'l' sounds in Japanese speech. However, understanding this outdated portrayal and looking over it, the film brilliantly expresses love and friendship and the long lasting impact of these relationships. Sofia Coppola's film sticks with you in a great way only some films can. However, if you are a parent there are some things important to note. The film deals with mature themes such as extramarital sex and adultery. There is brief frontal female nudity and a female's bottom can be made out through the back of some translucent underwear. This film is a must-watch at least once, especially for older teens and adults.

While Bill Murray is an alcoholic wife abuser in real life, his comedic persona made him popular. In a serious role, we see how little he gets along with people- by putting little effort into his wife and family while taking advantage of a girl 1/3 his age. He also models the use of strong alcohol to avoid confronting his negative attitude. MUCH WORSE THAN THAT, he and the movie ridicules the Japanese in a very very outdated racist manner that portrays the Japanese as stereotypically weird and unserious. THE MAIN THEME OF THIS MOVIE IS "THE JAPANESE ARE SILLY." I would consider this movie very harmful for Asian children. The movie and the stars mock the way the Japanese pronounce their 'l' s and 'r's. No matter how well meaning the locals are, the stars are disrespectful. The Japanese are not portrayed in good light, and Tokyo is -deliberately, falsely- presented as a dehumanizing, un-engaging, oddball culture that drives tourists to stay in their room (where the shower heads are too low- because, ha ha, Japan.) Sexism-wise, the opening shot lingering on the star's buttocks in see-thru underwear does nothing to further the film's intentions, and is thus exploitive. While watching a classic movie on tv, the scene chosen is a wet curvy blonde in a fountain. What is generally damaging about Lost in Translation is this:- owing to the quality of Coppola's other films, the overt, out-of-touch racism, sexism, and questionable disparate age relations may be insidious because this movie will be taken seriously in a manner that notoriously demeaning schlock b-movies and pornography are not, thus well-intentioned viewers will be exposed to and participate in normalizing very damaging, exploitative images of dehumanization and objectification. Children need to know that's not okay: I wouldn't approve of my 19 yr old daughter mocking Asians, letting others film her in her underwear, or cavorting with 53 year old married men in bars while on vacation with her fiancé.

This film is beautiful, bold and brilliant. The cinematography is gorgeous and suitable, the acting (particularly from Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson) is fantastic and Sophia Coppola's writing and direction is immaculate. It leaves you thinking and it's well open to analysis. It's very light on language for an R movie, the only real issue of any kind is the very brief sexual content and one scene of extended nudity. A character has an off-screen affair, but it's clear that he regrets it to some degree. The nudity is restricted to a few seconds of bare breasts in a strip club. All negative content aside, there are some positive messages. Rather than pushing for a romantic or sexual relationship, Bob is respectful to Charlotte and apart from a rather chaste kiss their beautiful relationship is entirely platonic. The film explores themes of finding your place in life, and breaking out of loneliness.

Brilliant, beautiful, funny, wise film. Manages to be both fun and melancholy simultaneously. I've seen it more times than I care to admit. The two main characters remind me of friends I've had.