Review of Lost in Translation (2003) by Paul N — 25 Nov 2012

I didn't expect this film to be as poignant as it is. It captures the frustrations of relationships with an ease that is at times breathtaking. It is probably 20 minutes longer than it really needs to be. Coppola deftly establishes the mood quickly and beautifully, then seems to run it into the ground.

The film struggles with the essence of life. Charlotte is the Yale philosophy graduate who doesn't know "what I'm supposed to be." What is the meaning of our existence and relationship with others? What defines us? Who defines us? Charlotte struggles to make sense of it all, drawn to the meaning in ritual and spirituality yet unable to lose herself in it. How does a painfully intelligent girl find herself married to a somewhat self-absorbed man lost in the ego and hustle and bustle of celebrity photography? We aren't privy to how she arrived at her current location, but we're all too aware that she's stuck where she is. Not unhappy per se, but uncertain and undefined.

Bob is the older, wiser man. He's been around. He's experienced great success and now deals with growing irrelevance. He has resigned himself to living on his reputation but takes no pleasure in it. He's well aware of the fickleness and ultimate uselessness of adoration. Not only has he weathered the ups and downs of a long career, he has weathered the ups and downs of a long marriage. Here too, he has resigned himself to the fact that life is dwindling. The spark that once lit up his marriage is not nearly as bright as it once was. It hasn't gone out, but it smolders more often than not. Charlotte reminds him of how living used to feel and he enjoys remembering through her. He can honestly confess that he is "lost", but not so much as to lose hope. His lostness isn't related to not knowing who he is, but rather accepting who he is.

The two forge a brief and unlikely relationship. It isn't as crass as the typical May-December romance fantasy. While there is some physical attraction, they thrive mostly on the emotional support. time, and attention that the other is more than willing to give reciprocally. They break up one another's doldrums. They provide a distraction from the boredom that fills their days. The majority of their shared time is at night, when neither can sleep. As such, they become one another's dream and means by which they seek to better understand themselves.

There are moments of touching honesty. The dialog is sparse, and both Johansson and Murray do wonders with simple body language and facial expressions. There is a genuine tenderness between the two. As well, there are moments of razor sharp, biting insults. The film is noteworthy in that it doesn't equate intercourse or infidelity with life in any sense. Quite the opposite. While the two share what might be termed an 'emotional affair', they do so with respect for the boundaries of their respective marriages, and knowing full well that what they want is not to escape their current life, but rather to revitalize it and give it meaning. As such, it could be argued that they are actually good for one another and their respective spouses, and hopefully each returns to their spouse in a better state than before they met.

Likewise, while the movie shows us the shortcomings of the spouses, we are not allowed to imagine they are somehow any worse or more to blame than our protagonists. The respective spouses are seeking to make the best of their lives as well, balancing obligations and duties sometimes joyfully and sometimes wearily. They're not perfect, but they aren't villains either. We can't simply root for the protagonists to fall in love or lust as revenge against heartless spouses. Coppola balances very well, never allowing her characters or her audience to swing too wildly in any direction.