Lost in Translation, Tigerland

[sarea]

It must be nice to be Francis Ford Coppola's daughter. That's the only reason I can see that Lost in Translation would garner so many accolades when there was very little to recommend the film. Don't get me wrong; I liked both Bill and Scarlett, and I liked their characters, even. But where was the story? Okay, they're lonely and isolated. I get that. But WHO CARES? I sure didn't. Other than the comedic moments in the beginning, the whole rest of it was one big snore. The scene where Bob and Charlotte go to party w/ Charlie Brown and the Gang? Made me want to bleed my veins, it was so boring. And it kind of gave me a headache.

Speaking of Charlie Brown and the Gang -- correct me if I'm wrong, but they seemed to be Japan natives, so I assume Charlotte and Mr. Charlotte met them there. And yet Charlotte seems utterly displaced, like she can't make any friends, etc. I could see that when Kelly was there -- but she seemed to enjoy hanging out w/ Charlie and his peeps. So what was up with that? But okay, whatever, I get the sense that she's mostly lost herself, because the implication is that she's really smart and went to Yale and all that, but here she is, kind of like her husband's groupie, and she has no identity of her own.

Part of the problem, though, is that I think we're supposed to sympathize w/ how alone she feels, but I don't, really. I mean, if that's something that's two years in the making, then I really needed to see more than just her ONE WEEK in Japan and her husband just doing his job. It's not like they were there for months and she never saw him. It was ONE WEEK. Suck it up. I didn't get enough about Charlotte previous to meeting her here, to make me fully be able to sympathize w/ her, especially since Giovanni seemed like a perfectly nice husband. It was clearly her own issues bogging her down (just like Bob), but I couldn't empathize w/ it. I actually empathized more w/ Bob -- Sofia did a lot more to show why he was feeling so blah, in terms of his past and his current situation, etc. I felt like I knew Charlotte a lot less.

I hope people don't see this movie and get turned off of visiting a country like Japan because of it. I mean, I'm sure it IS like that to an extent, but the point of the movie was also to show Bob and Charlotte's isolation, so I thought a lot of extra effort was made into making it look strange/bizarre/foreign, and not in a good way. It was one aspect of a country, and we didn't get to see the things, I think, that would make it a great place to visit. I was there once as a little girl, but don't remember much. I've always wanted to go back.

Lastly, I didn't believe the way Charlotte and Bob started talking was all that believable, the way she sent a drink to him because she saw him sitting at a bar. Presumably, she sent it to him because he looked bored/lonely/whatever, and not because he's a movie star (she doesn't seem the type to be taken in by that sort of thing, which was what make her likable), but just like love at first sight, I don't really buy this sort of instantaneous connection. Which is my own issue, but probably affected how I was able to enjoy this whole movie.

I would SO have nominated Whale Rider before this one. Why was it overlooked, when it has everything a good film ought to have?

And now that I've seen it, I also can't in good conscience vote for Sofia in the "best screenplay" category, I don't care how likely it is that she'll win it. It's not deserved, man.

Did a whole bunch of tidying up this weekend, which is so exciting, you don't even know. Found myself tossing out all the XF fanfic I had printed and saved ... that's when you know an obsession is dead. I can only hope that one day, I'll be able to watch my DVDs and recall some semblance of what I used to feel for the show.

Have also tagged about 100 CDs that I don't want, as well as 30 or so VHSes. I don't even want to think about how much money I'd have if not for spending it on those things (at $10 each, about $1,300 -- d'oh, don't think about it!!!).

Also saw Tigerland this weekend. If you're into war films (as I am), or films about comaraderie between guys in the military, or, you know, just want to see Colin Farrell bare-ass naked and having sex (with a woman, although it was so twu wuv between his character and his army buddy), I recommend this film.

Comments

[corianderstem.livejournal.com]

I loved LiT and am glad it's getting a lot of nominations, but best picture? Probably not. Best screenplay? Definitely not, because you're right -- not much happens. It's a mood piece. But I still heart it.

[sydney-lynne.livejournal.com]

I don't even want to think about how much money I'd have if not for spending it on those things
I suspect that I spent at least $1000 in my youth on purchasing various baseball cards (which have not been looked at in oh seven years), as per my then-obsession. SO SAD. Why is it so easy to completely waste money?

LEAVE SOPHIA ALONE !!!

[gnrationfo.livejournal.com]

This woman has more talent and insight than hacks like Michael Bay, Brett Ratner,and McG. She has a very unique directing style that is all her own, and not copied from some MTV video. She is more about making you look at the premise and the circumstances surrounding the characters, which she OBVIOUSLY made you do. You must have gotten something out of it, because you actually wrote in wonderful detail about the characters, you have to admit Sophia got you thinking! This was my favorite film of the year, and I am so happy Sophia is getting the respect she deserves as a artist. People are so petty to make the "Daddy got her where she is" crap. Sophia is not a Hollywood brat, she was raised on a Vineyard in Northern California away from all the Hollywood crap. She went to college and studied in Costume Design and Film production, she then worked for years on small films as a assistant to costume designers and art directors. She has worked way up to directing by looking at all aspects of what makes a film. One last thing...no one bitches when the shoemaker or the butcher's son goes into the family business, why hold it against Sophia because she went into her family business. She was raised on film sets all over the world, its only natural she became a film maker..and a wonderful one too!

OH and...I'M BAAAACCKKKK!

Miss you Blind my wife!

I love you, but you're on crack.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

1) I'm beyond thrilled that you're back. Hallelujah!!!

2) I in no way dissed Sofia (that is how you spell her name, btw; since you appear to be her biggest fan, I thought you'd want to know) for going into the family business. I just don't think that because she did go into the family business, it means that she gets instantaneous respect in her field. She has to earn it like everyone else, and she certainly didn't do that for me w/ LiT. If this film had been made by an unknown, it would have gotten nowhere near the attention that it has.

3) Did you even read my post? You're either making things up -- or at least, extrapolating erroneous conclusions about what I actually said. Did I say she didn't have more talent and insight than Michael Bay, Brett Ratner, and McG? I compared her to the others in her peer group, which she should be able to stand up to. The directors you named are not up for an Oscar in Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and I don't have to hold them to a high standard, which I do for Sofia, or I wouldn't even be talking about this. Would I go through an in-depth critique on Bad Boys II or Charlie's Angels? No, I don't think so. But since you bring it up, maybe I was too generous when comparing LiT to other quality films. Frankly, I'd rather see Pirates of the Caribbean and Gore Verbinski win an Academy Award before I'd see Sofia and LiT win one.

4) I know what she was going for in LiT. As you so kindly reinforce, I clearly understood it. Whether or not her purpose had merit is another question, and that's where I differ from you. There's such a thing as making a film about characters and their circumstances without sacrificing meaning -- see American Beauty or The Shawshank Redemption. I enjoy movies that have a point; mood pieces aren't my thing. And as I said, that's my own issue and probably colored how I saw the film. That doesn't change the fact that I thought there were far better films made this year that should have been nominated in its place -- movies that were well-rounded in all respects of what I look for in a film, and Whale Rider tops amongst those.

5) You loved Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, which is a shitty movie with an even shittier title, and it stole two hours of my life that could have been better spent scratching my nails on chalkboard over and over, and I will never, ever get them back. That fact pretty much negates my having to even respond to your claim of LiT being such a fantastic movie with points 2-4 from above, but because I love you, I did it anyway.

[connaka.livejournal.com]

Am not a fan of war movies but for Colin, I AM! :D Am actually the proud owner of Tigerland. Only got it 'coz Colin was in it, AND coincidentally, it was on sale for $5.99 when I got it at Target. Hee! And that shot of Colin's nekkid butt... *licks lips* YUMMMMY! ;)

[jade-okelani.livejournal.com]

Even though I don't quite share all your reactions, re: LiT, your points are all valid. Not unlike our reactions to Love Actually. *g* This is the kind of movie I normally HATE, so it's actually kind of weird to me that I liked it. When I think about it, I think that has more to do with Bill Murray than anything else, and what his performance made me feel for him. I was far more sympathetic toward his character than Charlotte's, and he's what lended me every ounce of true enjoyment I had.

I fully agree that LiT isn't really Oscar worthy, but in my experience, it IS the type of moody, annoying little film that always gets nominated and lauded. Or rather, that's been my perception of a lot of nominees in the past, and why I sometimes roll my eyes so hard they actually ache a little.

I would say that, because Virgin Suicides was so well-received, that's probably part of why Sofia's second film is talked about so much. But I would also say that the reason Virgin Suicides was so well-received was because she was Copolla's daughter. *g* She did already have a built-in reputation, deserved or not. I think she's a v. decent director, but she should stay the fuck away from screenwriting (something, actually, that is also true of her father), as she doesn't have a particular gift with dialogue or story structure. However, she DOES know how to get a good performance out of an actor, how to light a scene, how to put it all together in an interesting, visual way, which are all the things that weren't Bill Murray that I did like about the movie.

To your points about Japan: I totally agree. I mean, if you're already feeling isolated and alone, even before you travel out of the country, I'm sure it's going to be strange, but at the same time, like you say, suck it up. You're there for a week. Try to get in touch with the local culture, the clubs. If that doesn't work, go to freaking McDonald's to be reminded of home. I refuse to believe that ANY civilized country in this day and age is THAT "foreign." It's not like they were in fucking Bosnia.

I can't wait to hear what your dad thinks of it. *g*

I weep for how much money I would have had if I'd not bought CDs, books, DVDs, blah blah that I didn't really need, and now barely even want. WEEP.

And, finally: OMG I cannot wait to see Colin Farrell simulating coitus on my TV.