Lost in Translation
It has probably been three years since I last watched Lost in Translation and I still absolutely love it, but I had a very different experience, mostly regarding the characters, this time around.
I found Murray's character far less sympathetic in the first half of the film. He's actually a total ass. He's getting paid two million dollars for the easiest commercial shoot ever and he just whines about it. His line to Charlotte about doing this commercial "when I could be somewhere doing a play" was hilariously self-involved and ridiculous.
I really disliked Ribisi's character prior to this viewing (well, love the character, but think he's a douche), but this time around I didn't find him as ridiculous and inattentive. He's certainly a fairly shallow individual, but I realized that he's an artist and totally having the time of his life on this trip. It's a great opportunity for him and he's making the most of it. The tension between him and Charlotte feels more like she's jealous of him knowing what he wants to do in life and doing it than merely him being kind of a flake and not giving her enough attention.
My impression of Scarlet Johansson as Charlotte didn't really change. I think pretty much everyone in their 20s is trying to figure out what they really want to do in life and she's smart enough to realize that she's not all that talented in areas that she's interested in, which is so often true and genuinely depressing.
Overall, I still love this film and find it reassuring and exciting that watching it a few years later can bring such a different perspective.