"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves"
-Henry David Thoreau
Lost in
Translation is the second film of writer/director Sofia Coppola, who also happens to be one of my favourite directors in the entire world. I love all of Coppola's films, but there is something particularly special about Lost in Translation. I'm not going to lie, when I first watched this at around age 13/14, I wasn't a fan. The subtleties of the film were lost on me and quite frankly I was just bored (I would refer to this stage in my life as the 'Twilight' years so you can say that my taste in film wasn't very mature). But upon a second viewing a few years later, I fell in love.
The film follows 2 main
characters, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and Bob (Bill
Murray) and their separate journeys and coming together in Tokyo, Japan.
Charlotte, a university graduate in philosophy, is there with her husband of
two years who is working in Tokyo as a celebrity photographer. She spends her
days in their hotel room at the Park Hyatt or wandering around the city alone,
contemplating the direction of her life and her emotionally distant marriage.
Bob is an ageing actor, sent to Tokyo to film an advertisement for Suntory
Whiskey. Also staying at the Park Hyatt, Bob receives regular phone calls from
his wife who seems to be so concerned with decorating his office that she does
not notice his grave unhappiness.
Bob
The more you know who you are and what you want,
the less you let things upset you.
As the title
suggests, Bob and Charlotte are both “lost”, in literal and metaphorical
senses. The film contains many scenes in which messages are not effectively
communicated due to a literal loss in translation, as well as the fact that
they are both in a foreign country with a different time zone and culture. But in more metaphorical senses, they are
each at points in their lives where they feel lost and aimless. They are
searching for themselves as much as they are looking to make some sort of
emotional connection to someone or something, and it is this mutual sense of
confusion and purposelessness that brings them together.
The overall message of the film can be best summed up in a quotation by Sofia herself,
“The unexpected connections we make might not last, yet stay with us forever.”
The overall message of the film can be best summed up in a quotation by Sofia herself,
“The unexpected connections we make might not last, yet stay with us forever.”
Standout Performances
- Bill Murray- As a comedic actor, Murray never fails to bring the laughs to the lighter moments in Lost in Translation, but he really shines in the moments of drama and melancholy as well. Murray perfectly portrays Bob's dissatisfaction and sense of aimlessness and he...

- Scarlett Johansson- Young, charming and beautiful, you can see how Bob falls in love with Charlotte, but Johannson brings so many more layers to the role of this lonely, lost woman. From interacting with her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) to wandering the streets of Tokyo alone and especially in her scenes with Bob, Johannson is utterly captivating throughout the whole film.

Memorable Scenes
- When Bob is trying to shoot his commercial for Suntory Whiskey and he is receiving very confusing instructions from the Japanese director through his translator and hilarity ensues.
- When Bob and Charlotte lie on his hotel room bed and have a conversation that ranges from the trivial to the existential. A particularly moving part of the scene is when the two are starting to drift off to sleep and Bob slowly touches Charlotte's foot.
- When Bob and Charlotte go out for lunch towards the end of their time together and emotions are running high. There is a real sense of underlying tension and a disruption to the equilibrium of the narrative, and for some reason there is something about it that always struck me.

- The final scene of the film as Bob is departing Tokyo and he gives his final farewell to Charlotte, the two embrace, Bob whispers something inaudible in Charlotte's ear and they share a kiss, ending the film on an equally entrancing and ambiguous note.
Music Moments
- The whole karaoke scene, which is also one of my favourites in the film, especially the songs Brass in Pocket by The Pretenders & More Than This by Roxy Music
- Just Like Honey- The Jesus and Mary Chain
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