Review of Lost in Translation (2003) by Catherine S — 30 Dec 2013

Sometimes you come across that film that not only meets your expectations, but goes so far beyond them that you're left absolutely speechless and breathtaken by how well it's executed and how perfectly it's done. Lost in Translation was that way for me, with gorgeous cinematography, fantastic acting, and just an overall beauty in its whole that it's hard for me to put into words.

Lost in Translation follows the characters Bob and Charlotte (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen), both very similar but at the same time very different. Charlotte is a young woman married to a photographer that's constantly at work, leaving her alone and attention starved. Bob is a middle-aged, washed up actor in a broken marriage who's going through a mid-life crisis. Both of these characters are in Japan for different reasons: Charlotte's husband is at a photo shoot and Bob is shooting a commercial. The two characters meet and the film chronicles their time together in the huge city of Tokyo, watching as they interact with people and a culture that they both don't understand, and finding solace and a connection through each other.

This film, as I've stated above, is just absolutely brilliant in its cinematography. Everything that's done with the camera makes absolute sense for the scene and tone that the movie is going for, and everything is shot with a loving detail. Director Sofia Coppola described this film as "a love letter to Japan", and just the visuals speak volumes alone. Japan looks absolutely beautiful, from the confusing and strange hustle-bustle of Tokyo to the serene and mysterious sights of Kyoto. There's an equal part representation of the classic and the modern Japanese culture and I absolutely loved every bit of it. But even more so, how the film is shot captures the overarching theme of the film: isolation and alienation. There's this overwhelming awkwardness of our english characters interactions with some of the Japanese norms, from flower arranging to just their appliances. It places you into the shoes of the characters, makes you feel just as confused and out of place as they are. The filmakers brilliantly decided to include no subtitles for the Japanese characters, and this is a stroke of genius when combined with the themes of the movie. This film was also Bill Murray's big transition into a serious role (though he had already found mixed success with films such as Razor's Edge and Rushmore to some degree) and he's probably one of the best parts of an already fantastic movie. Scarlett Johannsen also does a magnificent job, tackling a role that's not the easiest role in the world. At times she's a bit flat, but for the most part she handles her role exceptionally well.

If you haven't seen Lost In Translation yet, I highly recommend it. This film probably would go down as one of the best films I've ever seen, and I'm at a loss to really think of anything negative to say about it or any reason why someone may not like it. Well, okay, you may not like this film if you're wanting/expecting a conventional, Hollywood ending, because without spoiling the ending that doesn't exactly happen. It's an intelligent little film, it makes you think and to me that's one of the best things a film can do if it entertains you at the same time. And this film more than does that. Definitely go see it if you haven't already.