LOST IN TRANSLATION
Two Americans in Tokyo. Both unhappily married. One man in his fifties. One woman of about twenty. His wife and family are back in the US. Her husband is based in the same hotel but continually leaves her to go on photographic assignments.
Neither of them can speak Japanese and the Japanese people they meet cannot speak good American.
They naturally come together and fall in love, although because of the fucking enormous age gap they realise there is no future in their union and they go back to their uncaring partners.
Can she only be happy in a relationship with a father figure?
Can he only be happy in a relationship with a daughter figure?
Can Sophia Coppola only be happy under her father's wing?
Can Francis only be happy knowing he is protecting his daughter from the Hollywood devils?
Do I give a shit about any of it?
THE STORY OF LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT - RADIO STARS
The IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME I'M GREAT WITH PEOPLE DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE HOPEFULS? Award goes to Terry Christian with this beautiful put down of multi-millionaire Chris Evans...
"If you've got anybody hailing fucking Chris Evans as a genius, you've got something very wrong with the world, right? He's a working-class kid from Warrington. No passion, no conviction, not interested in music, not interested in culture, not interested in the world of people...Hates people. He's like Morrissey, he's a complete fucking misanthrope."
Poor Terry.
And poor Kenny Everett, such a comic genius, he did all his own jingles, he was a broadcasting original, he died tragically young.
Remember Sid Snot, the high voiced Bee Gees, big-arsed Rod Stewart, the all in the best possible taste woman, Marcel whatever the bloody hell his name was (the shit mime artist)?
Christ, wasn't Kenny Everett crap?
I think the only good thing about Kenny Everett was Cleo Rocos. Now, she had style. And she's still like it now. When she went to sign in Marvellous Anthony's shop...she threw herself on a table and sucked on a banana.
ReplyDeleteChris Evans always looks like he has a pair of tights over his face. Kind of squashed and mutated.
Change of plan - Wednesday night now...not Tuesday. Blame Robert..not me.
And as for 'Duck Soup' - a fine, fine film.
Wednesday night will give me more time to recover. Although I think our internet connection may well pack up soon.
ReplyDeleteYou do realise I'm looking for every excuse under the sun for when the joint captains of our team get nul points.
Not looking for a fight here Geoff but I thought 'Lost in Translation' was a breath of fresh air. Sophia did a great job, Scarlett was marvellous and I even had to re-evaluate Bill Murray. I could go on at length about it but it's your blog. Still friends I hope. Dick.
ReplyDeleteI did go over the top a bit, Dick. Blame the lack of medication.
ReplyDeleteIt was well made and well acted but just wasn't really my cup of tea. Although I did sit all the way through it so I couldn't have disliked it that much.
Probably my favourite bit was Bill Murray's passionate rendition of What's so Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding. Big Nick Lowe fan?
I just thought it worked well on lots of levels...age/youth, men/women/ East/West. And none of it was ever overstated. A pleasant change from 'box-office blockbusters'. Of course it helps if your dad's in the business.
ReplyDeletei personally hated lost in translation and resent the hour of my life i invested in watching with mild bafflement while nothing at all happened. i gave up after an hour as i could feel my life slipping away and it was making me nervous.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'll let you in on a secret...the other team are quaking in their boots because you and Betty are so good at this kind of thing. Hee hee.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you could say that Murray gets more of a chance to 'shine' in LIT than, say, 'Ghostbusters'. But then again, I have a real thing for older men.
I've never seen it but I'd heard it was good so it was a possible rental. Now I don't know. Bugger. What do I do?
ReplyDeleteMy Mum and Dad like Chris Evans on Radio 2. So do I.
I enjoyed Lost In Translation precisely because nothing happens, and the soundtrack's ace, and Bill Murray is great and Scarlett Johansson still seemed like an indie starlet before selling her soul to perfume ads.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, Terry Christian was fantastic. Give that man a comeback. That'll learn him.
A woman with Scarlett Johansen's bottom and Cleo Rocos's... y'know... would be... very successful.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see Lost In Translation remade with Groucho Marx and Cleo Rocos.
ReplyDeleteWasn't Kenny Everett crap?
ReplyDeleteThere was one lovely gag he did when he had that David Bowie chap on singing Boys Keep Swinging. KE was dressed in that half city businessman/half bad transvestite costume he used to wear, chasing Bowie around the studio having an umbrellas as swords fight with him saying, "I fought two world wars for boys like you....they *never* gave me one...."
And don't forget Hot Gossip...
Does this mean I'll have to watch all the repeats to look for the good jokes, Bob?
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget Hot Gossip.