Lost In Translation

Imdb.com 

The film opens with a frame of the hourglass of a woman's body sleeping in bed. I'm curious about why the film opened with a direct attraction to the male gaze. The beginning of the film doesn't have much dialogue, but it still draws you into the character's life. Unlike most films, Lost in Translation gives you a chance to explore the in depth's of the characters lives and circumstances before diving head on into a plot. The only similarities these characters seem to have in the beginning is that they are both searching for something. Then one night this retired American actor and lonely newlywed have a conversation at a bar in Tokyo that results in an unique relationship.

Bob and Charlotte's friendship seems childlike or youthful. Charlotte especially seems to possess childlike qualities. She dons serious grown-up clothes, yet will run in the streets with no shoes on, dress up in wigs, and be cradled in an older person's arms. Throughout the movie it's hard to categorize their relationship. It's platonic, but that may not be obvious. You'll probably want to categorize it as romantic, but truthfully it's a father-daughter relationship. Charlotte is looking for love yes, but she also craves attention and someone to cherish her. That one-sided kind of need could perhaps only be satisfied in a father-daughter type relationship. Bob in his mid-life crisis also realizes that although it may not be obvious he's lived a full life which could be useful to others such as Charlotte and the information she wants to glean from him about marriage, life, and finding herself. This intellectual drama allows the viewer to fully explore the characters within the film, and discuss existential dilemmas.

7/10
Screen - I'll admit this movie is slow-moving for some, but reads deep like a good book. Enjoy one of Sofia Coppola's best directorial projects, Lost in Translation.