Lost in Translation: Melancholic Yet Exceptionally Genuine [Movie Review]

I saw Lost in Translation again some two weeks ago. It was my second time watching it since I saw it 15 years ago. It was a brilliant movie, the story was well put together and the main actors, Billy Murray and Scarlett Johansson were at their best elements.

Lost in Translation Movie Review

Watching Lost in Translation for the first time

I had a different opinion, though, in 2003. Sure, I found some scenes intelligently funny, but I thought the movie in its entirety was boring. However, there was something about Lost in Translation that was quite hard to forget.

Somehow, I knew the story was special, but I could not fully comprehend what it was about, maybe because I was just 23 years old at that time. In some way, it had little sparks of emotion that, though palpable, were rather hard for me to identify with.

Who can blame me? I was fresh out of college, and I had never really had much experience when it came to love and relationships, except for parental love, so I could not relate.

I felt the movie tackled a topic that was too mature for me at that time. So I made a resolve to see the movie again, not soon, but years later. I was glad I did because I more than appreciated the beautiful story of Lost in Translation.

Seeing the movie again

The second time I saw Lost In Translation, the emotions were very real. The situations were completely relatable. Have I matured that much?

It was a movie that revolved much around authenticity. Life is not ideal; it is sweet, but it also has its fair share of bitter memories. Happy endings are not always what we envision them to be. A chapter in our lives may leave us hurt,   but it’s up to us to choose whether we will wallow in sorrow or move on and look at the brighter side of life.

Lost in Translation is also a reminder that life is a journey full of adventures. Somewhere along the way, we become lost. We begin to question things and situations because they are just so hard to comprehend. Answers do not come straightforwardly.

Then again, at some point in our lives, we meet people who would help us pull through our tribulations, not necessarily a love interest, but true friends. These are the friends who took us for adventure rides, who influenced us, or who left indelible marks in our memories. Some may depart, some stay, but they remain completely part of who we are right now and what we have become.

Of course, nothing compares to the joy of finally meeting that one person whom we will marry, spend the rest of our days with, and help us make life a lot more bearable.

Watching the movie was also a trip back in time. It was early 2000, and the influence of the great 90s was still very apparent. It was still a time when the norm was to go out with your friends for drinks over karaoke and have a completely good time.

No distractions, no smartphones, no endless photographs, and no selfies and groufies. I don’t smoke, but back then, it was completely fine to smoke outside as well as inside bars. You will not be judged nor given discomforting stares when you indulge in a cigarette.

Epilogue

Anyway, Lost in Translation is one of the best stories I have seen. It was a generally happy movie, full of quirks, with an unconventional ending.

I still think it was a happy ending, the chance encounter between the main protagonists and the joyful memories that they shared revitalized their spirits, giving them renewed vigor to face their individual troubles.

In the end, the movie tells us that life does not always happen the way we want it to, and that is perfectly fine. We move on, and we remain completely whole.