Review of Lost in Translation (2003) by Spangle — 29 May 2014

A loveletter to love and attraction, Lost in Translation is a moving film that is certainly not flawless. On the positive side, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are phenomenal and their chemistry is great. It is amazing to believe that Johansson was 17 at the time that this one was filmed. The cinematography of the film is also gorgeous. Sofia Coppola picked a great location for this one in Japan and really maximized its potential with the look of the film. In addition, as the two become closer-and-closer, but have obvious things preventing them from being together (both being married for starters), it is a charming film that shows how the best things in life can be unplanned and completely unexpected. The way in which their relationships with their spouses, or lack thereof, is also very well done. The amount of development that happens there and with the characters themselves in the short time frame of the film is impressive. For a romantic film, it was never mushy or fake, rather it felt completely genuine and natural, while also being funny at times to lighten the mood.

On the negative side of things, this one certainly is not a loveletter to marriage. Rather, it feels as if the film's goal is to argue against marriage at times as both people deal with unhappy marriages. As they move closer together, the fact that they are married to other people is a disturbing element for me. There are many things that could keep them apart (age being a major one) that would keep that "we want to be together but can't be" element alive, so I did not enjoy that Coppola chose marriage as the thing that keeps them apart. In addition, the age difference is a tad creepy. Murray is over 50 here and Johansson is 17. The fact that they are forming this type of relationship is a tad off-putting. The same effect could have been created with a younger actor instead of Murray or an older one instead of Johansson. Finally, the criticism the film has faced for its portrayal of the Japanese is fair. The portrayal is there to exaggerate the differences between the two protagonists and the culture that surrounds them, but it feels more mocking and offensive than simply showing how their culture is different from ours.