Lost in Translation

Before the quarantine, our local cinema theatre in Vilnius was doing a monthly screening of the movie from the past. They had "Lost in Translation" on a schedule and I could not miss it.

I have been ranking it as my favourite movie of all. Moreover, it was one of the conversation starters with my wife when we met. Rewatching it was a test to see does it still stand as the movie number one for me.

Seeing the movie after 17 years from original screening it really does make you perceive it differently. The movies don't change but we change a lot. The flirt between Charlotte and Bob does not seem to be so innocent nowadays compared with what I thought of it being 16-year-old.

The younger me emphasised the beauty of the relationship in the making. Now, I am more worried about seeing unhappy people coping with their loneliness in life. My thoughts were wondering about the emotions that each character is living with. I was recognising more experiences of my own whereas originally it was unnoticed.

The storyline feels so natural and relatable at the same time being a genius because of its simplicity. I tend to believe the beauty of the story comes from it being the reflection of real-life experience. It does not have anything too much or too little of.

In spite of all the seriousness, I was surprised how much humour I found in the movie. I was catching myself giggling and smiling throughout the movie. I guess it is a part of the reflection of myself. I am in a rather happy state where I can enjoy things. This time, the movie was also more of a comedy where originally it was more of a romance drama.

Lost in Translation was the movie that opened the door to the sub-genre that I have loved and explored throughout the years. Movies like Before Midnight (the whole series), Marriage Story, and similar realistic relationship dramas have been my favourite. In this sub-genre, Lost in Translation did not age at all. It is still relevant, still enjoyable and it's still my movie number one.