Lost in Translation, the latest movie from writer/director Sofia Coppola, is a touching love story that is both funny and sad. It is also refreshingly quirky and modern in style, while the fact that it was shot and takes place entirely in Tokyo gives it the flavor of a foreign film. But for all of Miss Coppola's skillful use of cinematic accessories it is the performances of the two main stars that make this movie so enjoyable.
Bill Murray is Bob Harris, a movie star on the downward slope of his career. He's in Tokyo to make a whiskey commercial and he's also dealing with the fact that his 25-year marriage appears to be on the rocks. Bill Murray does a great job of underplaying Bob Harris, a character it would seem he knows well. He tells us more with a look or a shrug than pages of dialogue could convey. His comedic timing and delivery are both right on as well, most noticeably in the scenes where he is filming the commercial. Definitely an Oscar-caliber performance.
Relative newcomer Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World) plays Charlotte, the young wife of a neglectful photographer (Giovanni Ribisi) whom she's accompanied on an assignment to Japan. Bored and tired of being left alone while her husband works, she crosses paths with the equally lonely Bob Harris (they are staying at the same hotel) and the two strike up a tentative friendship despite the vast difference in their ages. Scarlett Johansson holds her own with Bill Murray and she has the technically more difficult role, although she has the advantage of having great dialogue to speak, courtesy of her very talented director.
What at first appears to be a friendship of convenience and boredom is realistically and wistfully transformed into one of deep caring and ultimately a full-blown romantic love. What sets Lost in Translation apart is that unlike a Woody Allen movie, for example, the love between Charlotte and Bob is never consummated. This adds a bittersweet innocence to the movie.
The city of Tokyo is like a third character. There are many shots of the neon glare of downtown as well as breathtaking views of the city from various hotel rooms, nightclubs and bars. They go to a Karaoke bar, go dancing in a discothèque, have a classic sushi dinner together. Having never been there I can only go by my gut and this feels like an authentic version of Japan.
Watching Charlotte and Bob's relationship evolve over the course of a week, as they explore Tokyo together is one of those rare cinematic experiences where all of the disparate elements that go into the making of a great movie are achieved. He is clearly having a mid-life crisis, in fact at one point Charlotte asks him if he has bought a Porsche yet. She, on the other hand, is two years into a marriage that she is beginning to realize is not what she wants. The only problem is she hasn't figured out what else she wants in its place. Two lonely souls who meet in an exotic setting, fall for each other and help each other to heal, are not exactly an original idea for a movie. Lost in Translation makes it feel like the first time.
