I liked Lost In Translation, though like the characters, I'm usually too obsessed by my own problems to appreciate where I am (the box says the movie is a "valentine to Japan," but I didn't see it that way at all). I can see why some wouldn't relate to that (plus if you didn't feel the internal tension in the characters, then yeah, nothing happens). I think a big part of my enjoyment was the uniqueness of Sofia Coppola's directorial perspective. It's just as objectifying as most male directors, but from a different sensibility (if her style is less unique than I think, please give me examples of similar works - I want to see them!). The Cameron Diaz/Spike Jonze elements were nakedly catty and I enjoyed them as such. I didn't get the sense of smug superiority from Coppola that I got from Terry Zwigoff in Ghost World. Johansson's character - an obvious Coppola stand-in - was pompous, but the direction itself wasn't. The only scene that made me cry bullshit was Murray's drunken one-night-stand. I didn't believe it for a second. I'm still not sure if Johansson is acting or not (is she guarded or blank?), but it worked here for the most part.

Anybody know if there's a full take of Bill Murray singing "More Than This" out there? I want to hear him do the whole thing.