Not the best Murray film

Rating: 6/10 (17 January 2006)

The once famous actor Bob Harris is shooting a TV commercial in Tokyo. Being the only American among Japanese, he feels isolated and out of place. But he soon meets a young American girl, Charlotte, who is also lonely in Tokyo. Being the only English speaking persons around, they become close friends, but avoid a romantic relationship...
It's almost incomprehensible what amount of prizes actor Bill Murray won for "Lost In Translation" - a BAFTA, Golden Globe, BSFC Award, BFCA Award, CFCA Award, Independent spirit award, LAFCA Award, NSFC Award, NYFCC Award, OFCS Award, SFFCC Awards, Sant Jordi Award, Seattle film critics Award, SEFCA and TFCA Award. Plus he was finally nominated for that damn Oscar. Now, Murray really is a special actor, but "Lost" is not one of his best films. It's a good drama, but too simple and silly to be profound or brilliant. It raises an interesting point how two "outsiders" can become friends because they have some basic things in common ( like a language or mentality ) and how isolation changes people. Also, it's a very refreshing concept from Sofia Coppola ( who won an Oscar and Golden Globe for this for best screenplay ) to avoid a direct romance between a young woman and older man and just show them in a platonic relationship. But I still have a feeling that "Lost" could have been a much better film.
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I've been to Japan and I can relate to some things in the story, but I can't accept that the only interaction of that culture and the American characters is reduced to Bob not understanding what his Japanese director is saying to him while shooting a TV commercial ( the line "More or Roger Moore?" is funny, but feels out of place and somewhat too silly ) or Charlotte just aimlessly wondering around a Buddhist temple and crossing a street while a Dinosaur is shown on a TV screen on a building. In the end the plot seems a little stiff and aimless itself. It is definitely a good, quality film, but in my opinion Coppola missed an opportunity to put some more sharpness into it and create a really magic spark, which manifests itself only in the beautiful sad ending underlined by the song "Just like honey".
Grade: 6/10