Philip is back, and on fantastic form.
My view of Lost in Translation is very similar to Philip's, I think. Its restraint, whilst in principle welcome given Hollywood's current sensory overload default, never really convinced. Coppola seemed like a director imitating the form of the art flick without being able to deliver the affect, with the result that, oddly, the film felt both underwhelming AND portentous.
However, Philip is right that Scarlett Johansson has a luminous prescence which is not reducible to her physical beauty. I approached the film expecting yet another boring rentababe, but Johansson has an expressive power lacking in the blank, interchangable mask that Hollywood habitually selects for.
Obv I disagree about sex, though. The less of that sort of thing, the better. :-)
Also on top form: Baal. Reached a new level, and the old level was y'know, pretty damn high.
Posted by mark at September 13, 2004 06:40 PM | TrackBack