Dir. Sofia Coppola, 2003, USA, 102 mins
Cast:
Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi
Having followed her well-meaning but self-absorbed photographer husband (Ribisi) to Tokyo, young American woman Charlotte (Johansson) feels aimless. When John leaves town on an assignment Charlotte is left entirely to her own devices. Stifled by the time on her hands and the false sense of freedom it gives her, a chance conversation at the hotel bar with a middle-aged American actor offers Charlotte a welcome distraction. Bob Harris (Murray) is equally lost. He is tired out by his marriage and the turn his film career has taken (he is in Tokyo to shoot a Whisky endorsement), and he finds Charlotte's company refreshing. Soon the two insomniacs are seeking each out to pass the time, and an unexpected friendship develops. Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation is an unusual and touching romantic comedy which fully lives up to the promise of her well-received debut - The Virgin Suicides. Drawing on her own time spent in Tokyo's hotels in her early twenties, Coppola tells a poignant story of displacement and connection. Bill Murray is thoroughly engaging as Bob Harris, a part written with the veteran comedy star in mind. Looking every inch his fifty-four years, Murray still has the charm that has made him one of America's most likeable, if unlikely looking, leading men. But those expecting a loveable oddball hero in the style of What about Bob? or Groundhog Day may be surprised by Coppola's low-key, reflective piece. Murray's man is still a quirky romantic, but this time there are also notes of bitterness and resignation. Scarlett Johansson's beauty and youth offer a wonderful contrast to Murray's world-weary looks, and she holds her own with a powerful and nuanced performance. In one moving scene Charlotte tries to express herself to a friend over the telephone, saying: "I don't know who I married", but they don't seem to hear her, and fighting back the tears, Charlotte ends the call. Tokyo provides an impressive backdrop to the romance, the bustling activity and the grand scale of the city a great counterpart to the beautiful but lifeless hotel and its idle rich inhabitants. Yet we rarely see beneath the neon-lit surface of karaoke and sushi bars, and the Japanese are more often than not just the butt of Bob's derisive jokes. Although Charlotte and Bob enjoy the Tokyo nightlife they are ultimately more interested in themselves and in each other. Charlotte's newly felt frustration at the turn her life has taken strangely complements Bob's jaded outlook. There lives are not afflicted by tragedy, but rather by a vague and persistent sense of disappointment. Whilst they can't solve each other's problems, they come to a deep understanding and have a lot of fun together. And this is in fact Coppola's masterstroke - inviting us to indulge her characters, to sympathise with their lives' disappointments and the simple consolations they find, which are just like many other peoples'. The film is full of tender little moments - shared jokes, glances, drunken conversations. Coppola's characteristic use of music, particularly Murray's Karaoke renditions of '(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding' and 'More Than This' - also add to the romantic mood. As Coppola says of her film: "It's about moments in life that are great but don't last. They don't go on, but you always have the memory." Elizabeth Griffin |
