A Gem

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 2003)

I saw Lost in Translation several hours ago, and it still lingers. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson play an odd and transient pair of companions: he an older actor, on the gentle downward slope of a still-respectable career, she a recent Philosophy graduate trying to cope with the difficulties of her marriage and a creeping sense of purposelessness. Sophia Coppola tells the story of the budding affection between these two slightly lost people with great affection and skill, and sets this against the visually dazzling backdrop of Tokyo, a city she clearly loves. With deft strokes she lays out the strange blend of confusion, fascination and alienation such visitors might feel in Tokyo. Her shot selection is wonderful, and she has a discerning eye for the most interesting bits and oddities in a strange and magical city. But as lovely as the setting is, it never overshadows the tenative affection that Bob and Charlotte start to feel for each other.
This relationship--and what it says about the ephemeral and yet enduring nature of human connection--is the emotional heartstring of this film. The characters are perfectly drawn, and the inchoate, powerful, and problematic feelings they develop for each other drew me and held me. I left the theatre feeling like this film had just whispered a secret in my ear. Lost in Translation touches something precious.