"But the film is under attack for cultural bias, and for maximizing its humor by depicting Japanese as robotic and cartoon-like. The question is: to what degree is the film insensitive - and to what extent is this the kind of "poking fun" that some ethnic groups now ignore?
Until now, none of these voices or questions has come from Japan. Indeed, while "Lost in Translation" opened all over the world last fall, it opened in image-conscious Tokyo only last weekend. Some sources say this is deliberate. Japanese decorum on culturally sensitive matters precludes angry protest or high-volume misgivings about images that might be considered unfair or "unpleasant," to use a local reviewer's term. But it is telling that the Academy-award-winning "valentine" can be seen here only in a small 300-seat theater in Shibuya, and critics warn that the film may hurt the feelings of ordinary Japanese."
Yes, Japanese are "robotic" and are not very open to foreigners. They lack the necessary imagination and creativity to go beyond the cookie cutter approach they rote learnt. The are status quo best friend.
"Murray is shot in a hotel elevator looking like a jet-lagged big bird amid dwarf Japanese businessmen. There is a shower head Murray can't bend low enough for."
I am 1m87 and yes I dwarf 99% of the Japanese taking the subway in my car. In whatever hotel I stay I have to bend to take a shower...
"Squads of overly polite Tokyo attendants and hosts seem unable to connect with any of the American characters."
True again. Whatever Japanese hotel worker that can speak template-English can only stick to what he/she has been told to say and will never risk to get out of that frame.
Now explain me why the world's most technologically innovative products come from Japan?
Sad to say, before I moved to Japan I was really looking forward to live in Japan. Now I can't wait to flee that closed-minded country. Only 4 months to go...
