Lost in Translation

I finally saw it. Lost in Translation. Japanese porcelain wrapped in neon tubing. Delicate and crazed; cool-to-the-touch. Minute gestures, movements, sounds. Characters kept separate from the sprawling city of Tokyo. Cushioned by protocol and agenda; by separateness and aloneness; by glass and air conditioning. Both apart from their spouces regardless of distance. Finding each other in the familiar shared-space of the hotel bar, to drop eventually to ground level and the hustle and bustle of the city; two pieces of a puzzle that only fit together. Their connection is almost tangible though they rarely touch. I loved this movie. I loved Bill Murray's "Bob" and Scarlett Johansson's "Charlotte". I loved this movie and am so glad i finally got to see it. I loved this movie and wanted Bill Murray to win an Oscar for it. I loved this movie so much I'm going to buy it. I loved this movie more than Lord of the Rings and The Last Samurai and of course, Mystic River which was just so much unconnected schlop.
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Our Man in Havana

Graham Greene wrote a book called Our Man in Havana. It�s very good. At one point, the lead character writes a letter to his great aunt in Oxford. She lives at 65 Woodstock Road. Everyday this week I have walked past this address and thought about going in. It�s a sweetie shop. It�s called Court Corner Shop. I want to go in and say �Do you know you�re in a book?!� But I probably won�t. I have imagined myriad possible responses � none of which end without red faces all round: �No, we only sell newspapers, sweets and cigarettes, sorry, no books.� �Yes, what of it?� �No, really? I read a book once - 1973 I think it was - anyway, I got to chapter sixteen only to discover that the Duke of Monmouth already HAD a brother�� �Yes. Didn�t rate it much.� �No. What do you want me to do? Put up a plaque?� �Yes. It�s a big book too. I can�t remember the exact title, but it has the word �telephone� in it somewhere, I�m almost certain.� �No. We don�t read books round these here parts.� �Yes. We are considering our legal position.� Maybe I�ll go in next week and buy a quarter pound of butterscotch and see if the owner seems friendly.
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