Magic!

Rating: 8/10 (7 February 2005)

When it comes to feel good-movies i always find it hard to point out the special thing that the movie has that makes me feel GOOD. I guess i have that trouble here as well. But still, somehow this movie makes me warm inside.
The actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray) comes to Tokyo to shoot a commercial for a whiskey-brand. There he meets the bored Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) who visits Tokyo along with her boyfriend who is a fashion photographer. The odd couple find each other and experience Tokyo together.
Bill Murray is almost always excellent. Here he's just fantastic as the jet-lagged and world-weary actor Bob Harris coming to Japan to shoot a commercial, seemingly without knowing really WHY he does it. Scarlett Johansson is equally great as the boring young woman he meets at the hotel and teams up with. Their journey through Tokyo with all the confusion and wonder is just something out of the ordinary. As i said before, i don't know exactly what it is. But something in this movie just makes me feel... good! And more than anything it makes me want to pack my bags and go to Tokyo.
This is a very different movie experience. But it's an experience that everyone should at least try. I know a lot of people think it's boring, and in a way i can understand why people would think that. For me though, this is not boring, it's magic! I rate it 8/10.