I had wanted to see “Lost in translation” for three reasons. First, one of my favourite actors was in it, Bill Murray. Second, an actress who is slowly becoming my favourite actress (eh em, next to Miss Dunst of course) was in it, Scarlett Johansson. And thirdly Sofia Coppola was directing it. See I adored Coppola’s first feature length movie “The virgin suicides” and I was hoping this movie would touch me as much as that one did. Anyway my hopes of seeing it were dashed when after the release date I realised it was showing in no cinema’s near me, the only way I could see it was if I’d gone to an out of town cinema. Well I wanted to see it, but not that much! Anyway last week my friend came over and mentioned in passing that it is now showing at all the cinemas in our town, that very day I dragged him and a couple of other friends to see it with me.

My preconception about this movie was that it was an indie flick that would quietly pass the masses unnoticed, how wrong was I? When this movie came out, it was suddenly receiving nothing but praise from the critics; I was a little shocked, as I had not expected it to do so well critically. I thought this was great, but on the other hand I was worried, as what the critics love, I usually find unbearably boring, was I about to be bored of the movie I was anticipating for all this time?

The story begins here. Bob is a washed up actor who was notorious for making action movies, a few decades later he finds himself in Tokyo about to film a whisky commercial, and for a few days work he’ll earn $2 million. He is desperate to leave Tokyo as filming a commercial of this kind if only reminiding him of what his career has become. Charlotte is the tag along wife of a self-involved photographer. She herself has a degree in Philosophy from Yale yet she’s following her work obsessed husband and doing nothing really productive with her life. Her Husband John has been neglecting her, which leaves Charlotte spending her days wandering the streets of Tokyo solo like a tourist. Bob on the other hand takes a break from his wife in surroundings completely foreign to himself. Due to the culture clash, the two feel alienated but somehow connect and strike up a platonic friendship. They feel they can be themselves with one another, even though they are strangers, the two realise that they have more in common then they would have believed. Charlotte has been married to John for two years, whilst Bob has been married to Lydia for 25 years. However both are in similar situations, as they both feel ignored by their spouses. Instantly these two strangers have chemistry, which is something, they do not share with their spouses.

Bill Murray to me has always been one of the funniest guys in Hollywood, and as usual he made me laugh but his performance was quite contrasting to those in such movies as “Groundhog day” and “Ghostbusters”. This was one of those dramatic roles, which Murray isn’t really known for playing, but he was just plain brilliant, his timing was perfect and he played Bob Harris better than anyone else could have. At times Murray portrayed Bob as a depressed, lonely man but at other times he was seen as a funny, approachable man. One of the highlights of Murray’s performance was the fact that he could clarify how Bob was feeling without saying a word; his facial expressions said it all. Also have to say congratulations to Bill Murray for his recent Best Actor Golden Globe and Oscar nomination, especially after he was snubbed for his brilliant performance in “Rushmore”.

I began writing this before the Oscar nominations were announced and I was convinced Scarlett Johansson would be nominated, but no she wasn’t. I could sit here and vent all day about how wrong that is but I’m not here to talk about the Oscar committee being stupid am I? Anyway on to Scarlett’s performance. In two words, plain wonderful! This girl is incredibly talented, and she will continue to shine for years to come. Her performance as Charlotte was just right, she had the right balance of maturity and a sort of child like quality, which blended together perfectly. She had to portray Charlotte as a smart, mature and intelligent woman whilst still having a naïve quality and for someone of her age, she did nothing but impress. At times she was sad, and at others she was happy and this just highlighted her timing was excellent, she did everything right and portrayed Charlotte perfectly. Many people are now seeing this as Bill Murray’s film but she plays just as big a part as he does, Scarlett is definitely not one to be ignored.

I felt like I really related to Charlotte’s character because Scarlett portrayed her as a young adult having to make serious decisions regarding her life for the first time. It was as if she was confused about what to do, and meeting Bob was in a sense highlighting to her, that some decisions just need to be made. I thought this aspect of the film was brilliant, as Bob in a sense is what Charlotte would become if she doesn’t realise who she really is.

What I appreciated so much about this movie was the fact that everything seemed so real. From Bob’s jet lag to Charlotte’s insomnia, it was as if you could actually feel what they were feeling. Everything was captured so brilliantly. That’s what made this film so special in my opinion; the little details helped it become more than just a movie.

Many might argue this movie lacked a real story, and yes you’d be right but in this case it’s really not that big of a deal. This movie focuses more on two people meeting and getting to know each other in foreign surroundings, doesn’t sound very appealing? Well that’s what many of my friends thought, some would ask and? But I’d have to reply, that’s it. My argument to this is that there may not be a major storyline but when you have two amazing performances like this, a story just doesn’t matter anymore. The plot isn’t complicated so some appreciate it’s just a movie to watch rather than try to work out what’s going on.

This movie could be classed as a subtle love story without the cheesy romance to go with it. Some might argue that Bob and Charlotte’s relationship was purely platonic so why would it be classed as a love story? Well mainly because Coppola leaves you wondering whether these two characters were made for each other, be it friends or lovers. One of my favourite moments is when Bob whispers something privately to Charlotte, which is such an emotional scene. This just made me realise these two characters share such a personal bond that there are some things the audience are simply not meant to know.

Coppola has beautifully constructed this friendship between two people, who couldn’t seen more different. She’s taken a truly simple idea but made it into something else, something that leaves you wondering about it even after you’ve left the movie theatre. I also love the way the characters were in a sense left confused by all the Japanese and it isn’t subtitled either so the audience is left as confused as Bob and Charlotte are. Coppola wrote the script as well as directing the movie and has definitely done a great job. At times there isn’t much conversation between the two main characters but everything still fits together perfectly, and you can tell what they’re feeling, and they don’t even need to say it, thanks to great direction and acting. Coppola’s style could be described as subtle but effective. Even though she has only directed two movies both have shared a dreamy quality and I think this is her signature style of filmmaking. I think that is a good thing as both films have left an impact on me. I also think her style of filmmaking is impressive as performances and direction make it what it is, rather than special effects and such. I think she will continue to make great movies and cannot wait to see what she comes out with next. Hopefully after this movie Sofia can now be known as the other talented Coppola and not just someone famous by association.

What amazed me most was the chemistry both Murray and Johansson had. There is quite an age gap between them yet they slip into their characters so comfortably that it’s easy to accept them as a couple. There was no questioning of why a girl her age would want to associate with a man of that age, or vice versa, they just both fit together perfectly. When Charlotte kissed her husband John, it just seemed so forced and unnatural, yet when Charlotte gently rests her head on Bob’s shoulder, it looked right. At times they didn’t even need to speak to highlight how well matched their characters were, their performances alone spoke volumes. That’s when you know they’ve given a brilliant performance, when you see the characters for what they are.

The comedy was most definitely in short supply in this movie, but in this case it wasn’t a bad thing, the movie had the right balance of comedy and drama, but it was definitely more drama based. Fortunately for people who tend to get bored there were some laugh out loud moments, which the audience couldn’t help but laugh at. The funniest scene in the movie by far was when Bob is greeted by a premium fantasy woman in his room, and she wants him to “Lip her stockings”, Bob is nothing but uncomfortable by this, but the audience were in hysterics. Other comedy was more subtle and personal which fitted right in with the feel of the film.

I don’t how to say this but this film was kept simple and quiet, if that makes sense. It didn’t suffer from tricky camera angles or special effects. It was all about two people meeting and becoming friends. I guess that’s what I appreciated most about this film, the fact that you just watch it for what it is. The cinematography was also beautiful as it truly captured Tokyo as a mad, chaotic, cyber city but on the other hand the temple Charlotte visits highlights the tender, peaceful side of the city.

I went to see this with friends who would have preferred to have seen something along the lines of “Scary Movie 3” which is why I think they were disappointed with this movie, one friend even commented on how boring it was. If you prefer your movies fast paced and to have a major story then this is not a movie for you. One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because it touched me, and I was even thinking about it even after I left the theatre. It was something I could just watch at that moment and appreciate all the beautiful scenery and terrific acting. I do truly believe that the brilliant performances made this film what it was. Had Murray and Johansson not been in it, I think it would not have been so well received, they made this film what it was.

My only critiscism of this film is that at times the film felt too slow paced. For people who get bored easily, this film would probably not be for you, it is slow throughout and at times it does pick up, which is why I would advise you to be in a certain mood before seeing this. For some reason this film was being marketed as a Bill Murray comedy but it really isn’t, which is why some people may get the wrong end of the stick and expect to laugh out loud all the way through. Just a quick notice that there is some nudity in the film, but that’s no big deal as this isn’t a family film anyway.

Overall I was impressed with this film in so many ways. Not only did it capture my imagination but it was beautifully made, it just goes to show a movie doesn’t need an important storyline just to be great. This was a film I could just watch and it certainly left an impact on me. I would have to say though, that to watch this film you would definitely need to be in the mood for it, if you want subtle comedy and outstanding performances in a film, which is quite slow-paced, but still beautiful to watch, then “Lost in translation” is for you. The subtle quality portrayed in this movie certainly makes it stand out, as subtlety is a rarity in today’s movies.

CAST~~

Bill Murray – Bob Harris
Scarlett Johansson – Charlotte
Giovanni Ribisi – John
Anna Faris – Kelly
Akiko Takeshita - Ms. Kawasaki
Yutaka Tadokoro - Commercial Director

DIRECTOR~~

Sofia Coppola

CERTIFICATE~~

15

RUNTIME~~

102 min

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