Review of Lost in Translation (2003) by Steven C — 06 Apr 2012

I have never seen Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" as a romance. This is a film about intimacy. Don't confuse the two here. These are two characters who are dealing with the same issues (disenchantment, loneliness, depression, ennui - the same issues present in all of her pictures) who happen to find each other at the right place at the right time.

When I say that they 'find each other,' I'm again, not talking about romance. These are two people who need each other as mirrors. They need this intimacy to identify with each other and, separately, realize what they need in life.

As the audience, their revelations are not privy to us, and that's how it should be. We are allowed to decide for ourselves what it is that we need to learn. Sofia Coppola is never concerned with telling us anything, she invites us into the scenes and by doing this we become apart of Bob and Charlotte's journey, knowing and not knowing just as much as them.

It takes a very special filmmaker do achieve something like this. With the help of her fluid and symbolic photography and Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's mesmerizing and gentle performances, Coppola makes "Lost in Translation" an unforgettable experience.