Lost In Translation (Full Frame)
Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey commercial, while Charlotte is a young woman tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi). Unable to sleep, Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the luxury hotel bar. This chance meeting soon becomes a surprising friendship. Charlotte and Bob venture through Tokyo, having often hilarious encounters with its citizens, and ultimately discover a new belief in life's possibilities.
Shot entirely on location in Japan, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation is a valentine to the nature of close friendships and to the city of Tokyo. Ms. Coppola's film, for her original screenplay, contemplates the unexpected connections we make that might not last - yet stay with us forever.
Member Reviews
Enjoyable And Innocent - revsdd
What's most appealing about this movie is the innocence of the relationship between Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). Both are essentially "fish out of water" characters. Bob is a movie star who's in Tokyo to shoot some commercials, while Charlotte is a young and recent Philosophy graduate who came to Tokyo with her photographer husband who then leaves her for a photo shoot. They're both lost in this strange, foreign city, and while they share that, they're developed very differently. Bob's story is semi-comic, as he tries to understand his Japanese director and adjust to this bewildering city while at the same time contemplating what seems to be a more and more distant marriage, while Charlotte is more of a sad character, alone and lost and also questioning the direction she's taken and her marriage. Eventually, the two of them meet in the hotel bar and develop a semi-romantic and yet always innocent relationship as they help each other deal with their loneliness.
This probably could have been developed as a straight romance. In spite of the age difference, Murray and Johansson worked well together and shared a real chemistry, but the innocent route was the proper one. There was a sweetness and even innocent intimacy to their relationship, which shone brilliantly in a simple scene where they lie fully clothed beside each other in bed, Johansson curled up in a sort of fetal position and sharing her fears of inadequacy, while Murray merely reaches down and strokes her foot. To me, that summed up what they were about together as they helped each other cope with their plights. I found myself wondering if their relationship was going to move to a physical level, and yet spent most of the movie hoping that it wouldn't because that would have spoiled what made this movie work so well.
In the end, Murray and Johansson both offered excellent performances in a movie that is simply enjoyable to watch.An Ode to Tokyo - Filmgal
This is one of those films that has seriously grown on me over time. Giving it a second chance turned me into a huge fan.
Generally, the story is rather slow, but beautifully shot. The performances are the main attraction here. The story revolves around a friendship between Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and Bob (Bill Murray) as they try to make sense of their surroundings in Tokyo and their chosen path in life. Both are dissatisfied with relationships and have ended up at the same place and time- both emotionally and physically.
Tokyo and Japanese culture are also characters in the story as everything becomes "lost" in the in between spaces where East meets West (having lived in Japan, this is one of the best films to capture the not-so-subtle cultural differences).
The film will appeal to those who have travelled abroad and have found themselves in what seems to be an entirely different world. Don't expect a lot of action or excitement. The film is built purely around the characters- if you don't identify with them or care about them in anyway, the film may come off as a failed experiment in human relations. It is definitely a dialogue driven film that falls more into the category of art flick then Hollywood Blockbuster.
Comparing it to Punch Drunk Love in terms of style and pacing is the best comparison I can make.
Member Reviews
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Enjoyable And Innocent - revsdd
What's most appealing about this movie is the innocence of the relationship between Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). Both are essentially "fish out of water" characters. Bob is a movie star who's in Tokyo to shoot some commercials, ...An Ode to Tokyo - Filmgal
This is one of those films that has seriously grown on me over time. Giving it a second chance turned me into a huge fan.
Generally, the story is rather slow, but beautifully shot. The performances are the main attraction here. The story revolves ...