imagine hear the major critic on the top of the roof on the skycraper sing boisterous praise for one of the five hundred qualified masterpiece and and lose in translation somehow receive the honor bestow on sofia coppola and company . big mistake . lose in translation be one of these movie that at first you might be see a terrific movie and but a it progress it become drab and droll and tedious without justification in substance . there really no story to speak of only paper thin basic with inanely banterous dialogue . there may be a merit in cinematography that raise the artistic value of this movie and but because the story be non existent and the character utterly unsympathetic and boring to watch and cinematography stationary in some scene and move in others somehow negate the enjoyability of the movie by focus on the ludicrous aspect of tedium a if sofia could bring back the element of silence inspire by silent film of the early 20th century . lose in translation ( er and sofia ) abuse the silence element a the expression of mean when it really add nothing of substance to the aesthetic of the movie and artistic or otherwise . it utterly meaningless if one do not understand the express purpose of silence at the right moment to convey the humanistic value of life in the hectic and modern world . sofia be be altruistic to the detriment of the audience when it come to the vanity of the character a portrayed bill murray and scarlett johansson which generate zero empathy that make the movie even less interesting to watch in a continuous manner without become fidgety or let out relax yawn . there nothing of interest what happen to the main character and why should the audience give a care . sofia make the blunder in filming and keep the scene from the fate of be toss into the cutting room trash bin that be particularly unintentionally humorous in be unabashedly pretentious or idiotically embarrassing . like the english pronunciation mangle japanese hooker in the hotel room and the pointless and unromantic conversation with bill and scarlett character who somehow fall in love while possess ice cold personality that would make mr. freeze blush in humbled shame . and the movie move in the glacial pace that make it atrocious to watch it be the cinematic exercise in tedium for the sake of artistic expression and without tighten up . it drag on and on until the audience feel nothing but contempt for the character and especially the screenwriter or director responsible for torture by mean of bore the audience to death . sofia once mention her favorite movie director be terrence malick . mr. malick be a completely different filmmaker who know how to convey the meaning of silence in the poetic setting because malick have experience observe nature and human quality a a former philosophy professor and translator . sofia do not because she doesn not get the aesthetic combine with silence without the backbone of a rich story and characterization . the virgin suicide and sofia debut movie and be well make and competent and but lose in translation be such a trainwreck in term of lackluster substance and poor and drag on edit that lend to experience boredom . this boredom probably reflect the period of boredom at certain point of her life and and she parlay that experience a a form of torture to inflict the mental anguish of tedium on the audience in vengeance . scarlett johannson and bill murrey and while accomplished movie actor in their right and do the bare minimum except mug to the camera in the aura of exult sundance film festival self importance that elevate this movie to the new level ( more like bottom 100 ) in high art and with moronically sedate monotony and meander tedium throw in . bill act be nothing special save comedy and scarlett be moderately competent but technically bad in dramatic acting ( which make it a safe bet she will never be nominate for best actress oscar in her lifetime and uk bafta best actress award clinch for subpar and vacant and minimalist act style partially blame on sofia tepid and fumbling directional style and a future hard director demand spectacular act notwithstanding ) . frankly and i do not know how lose in translation screenplay appeal to scarlett and bill murray . it may be a character study and but do it delve into humanity and psychology and philosophy . no . it more like a staid travelogue populate with non descript character that say absolutely nothing but dumb banter then fade to the pretty backdrop with the main character wander for a few minute too long . this script win an oscar for best original screenplay for nothing but silence and banter and silence and banter and silence and inaudible whisper and fade to end . when the critic claim the movie have substance that the audience could not spot and decipher and call u stupid for be oblivious and i say the true design of lose in translation be that it be an introvertible proof the emperor new clothes carry a valid allegory that apply to sofia vapid and utterly worthless filmflam that and next to corey haim 1989 video diary me and myself and i and might serve a an ideal audio visual torture device . because sofia want the audience to experience what she endure and and so we the viewer get the taste of her bitter medicine of a puerile existence and similar to what vincent gallo do with the cheerfully self indulgent buffalo 66. zero star out of four .