Review of Lost in Translation (2003) by Andrew G — 17 Oct 2013

A subtle and exquisite tale of two people who, despite being of substantially different ages, find themselves united by the fact that they are equally lost and lonely. This film is beautifully shot, with the bizarre neon world of Tokyo almost serving as a third main character in the film. The Oscar-winning screenplay is poignantly and painfully realistic - you can plausibly imagine a scenario like this playing out, which is not something you can say of too many movies.

But by far my favourite part of this film is the lead performance by Bill Murray. It is incredible how much he can convey with a tilt of the head or a wry twist of the mouth. I can't think of a better way to say it than Roger Ebert did: "Bill Murray's acting in Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" is surely one of the most exquisitely controlled performances in recent movies. Without it, the film could be unwatchable. With it, I can't take my eyes away. Not for a second, not for a frame, does his focus relax, and yet it seems effortless. It's sometimes said of an actor that we can't see him acting. I can't even see him not acting. He seems to be existing, merely existing, in the situation created for him by Sofia Coppola.".