‘Lost in Translation’ movie review

The film ‘Lost in Translation’ is a masterpiece of understatement.  Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.  After its release 20 years ago, I can honestly say it is still brilliant today.  It is the perfect narrative that shows without too much unnecessary dialogue the mood of the film.  For anyone that has traveled internationally, you understand the jet lag and the struggles with a foreign language.  The characters are believable.  The audience can relate to them.  Tokyo is the perfect backdrop because it accentuates the feeling of being lost in a foreign land.  It is an offbeat modern romance between two lost souls.  It is the empathy that develops between them that makes it bittersweet and sublime. 

Bob (Bill Murray) plays a fading actor that is brought to Tokyo to appear in a whiskey commercial.  You can tell he really doesn’t want to be there.  He keeps calling his agent to get him back home but the money is too good.  Murray’s performance is masterfully subtle.  The craggy looks he gives during a photo shoot for a Suntory ad are humorous.  The Japanese director spouts line after line of nonsense to the actor.  The translator simplifies it to a few words of direction.  After the exhausting shoot, you see Bob taking refuge in the hotel bar.  As fans try to interact with him, he desperately wants to be left alone.  Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is staying at the same hotel with her photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi).  He says he loves her as he leaves the room to go off for a few days on assignment.

You would think what a perfect situation for them to meet-cute.  Coppola never makes it easy like a traditional romantic comedy.  She wants the characters to struggle aimlessly for a while.  Bob sees her in the hotel elevator but nothing is said.  Chance encounters are usually brief.  The two struggle with insomnia.  Bob’s wife faxes him home improvement plans.  Charlotte sits next to the window overlooking the Tokyo skyline.  Since they both can’t sleep, they end up at the hotel bar.  They don’t flirt with each other.  Bob doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve.  We know he finds her attractive.  We don’t know if Charlotte recognizes him as a famous actor.  They are just two people talking to each other in a hotel bar.  Bob is going through a mid-life crisis and Charlotte is struggling to find her place in the world. 

Coincidentally, they cross paths with each other before they form a friendship.  That’s how it should be.  That’s how life is.  Their relationship is not forced and that’s why it seems so real.  They begin to explore Japan together.  They sing songs at a karaoke bar.  It’s a beautiful moment in the film.  They leave their worries behind them and enjoy each other’s company.  There is a touching scene where they are laying down on the hotel bed.  Bob could easily sleep with her if he wanted to.  Instead, Bob subtly touches her as they both doze off.  The gesture is powerful.  It is more meaningful than the two of them having sex together.  They are there for each other.  Although their relationship is brief, they help one another navigate through their rough patch in life.

For audiences that like everything spelled out to them, they might not understand ‘Lost in Translation.’  For me, it is a sublime masterpiece.  I like how Coppola captures the perfect mood through a gesture or a glance. She shows the story without weighing it down with too much dialogue.  When the two characters (brilliantly played by Murray and Johansson) look at each other, it tells you all you need to know about how they feel.  In that moment in time, they find a connection that helps them see the possibilities in their future.  What does Bob say to Charlotte in the closing scene?  It doesn’t matter.  That’s their moment of privacy and that is why ‘Lost in Translation’ is one of the best romantic dramas of all time.