First: the critics loved it -- the film received a composite score of 88 of 100, denoting universal acclaim.
Second: the individual reviewers missed the point.
Lost In Translation is not an easy film, and the individual reviewers who claim to "get it" while completely missing the point are in no way unexpected. Coppola made a conscious decision not to write "down" to viewers, and because of this there is a large group of morons who think the film sucks because they can't seem to figure out where the plot got off to.
This is not to say that everyone should love Lost; I can see that it is not for everybody. It is very deliberate at times -- almost plodding. The characters are not always likable. The culture in which they steep is sometimes portrayed with an arbitrary hand.
See, those things aren't mistakes, though. The movie is what it is because of the story it tells. The story is about alternating boredom and frenzy. The story is about the lines between love, infatuation, and disaffection. The story is about social dislocation and the feeling of being alone in the midst of a crowd. If you understand that and still don't like the movie, fine.
You're still wrong, but at least you're not an asshole.
Also:
- Do I need to worry about you, Bob?
Only if you want to.