Coppola's breakout film still translates nearly two decades later

Rating: 7/10 (8 March 2020)

The early 2000s were filled with films in which middle-aged actors who were perhaps just starting to reach the outer limits of their careers were recognized for quality work in indie films. 2003's 'Lost in Translation' is exhibit A of this trend, as Bill Murray played what could almost be considered a caricature of himself as a "past his prime" actor who finds work across the Pacific in Tokyo.
Sofia Coppola's first major, critically acclaimed effort as director generated a lot of buzz (and biz) around its release, and its Academy Award for best original screenplay was well deserved. At the center of 'Translation' is the relationship that forms between Murray's Bob Harris and Scarlett Johansson's twentysomething Charlotte - a role that is really considered a breakout by many (sorry 'Eight-Legged Freaks'). Both Bob and Charlotte feel like prisoners in a foreign city, with neither of them really wanting to be there. Yet over the course of the film, we see an unlikely friendship develop, with some lessons learned along the way.
The fact that 'Translation' is set in a city in which English is a second language also adds to its uniqueness, as it's another element that makes the two protagonists feel even more isolated. It's interesting that this film did not set off a domino effect of many others trying this out for effect.
'Lost in Translation' is a little quirky, a little unorthodox, but a lot entertaining.