As the saying goes, better the devil you know than the one you know not...

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2007)

I was reluctant to see this film simply because I did not like Sofia Coppola's prior work that she directed and which I'd seen on TV (it was a forgettable TV flick about teenage suicides).
However, as a big fan of Bill Murray, I finally put aside my prejudice about Sofia Coppola as a director, and sat down to watch it one evening recently.
I'd read a couple of film reviews in newspapers, so I had a fair idea about the story. Or, so I thought... Yes, the bald outline is about a middle-aged actor (Bill Murray) in Japan to do some Japanese commercials, and it is about how he meets a somewhat neglected wife of a professional photographer, and then how the two spend time together enjoying the sights and sounds of Tokyo...and, ultimately, the sight and sound of each other.
So, as a story, it's really simple: a week out of two people's lives who meet by chance and who probably will never meet again. But, as the song goes, the memory lingers on...
Hence, this is not a romance. Instead, this story is a romance that might have been, or still might be. We'll never know  and that's the real romance and power of this narrative, because it's the sort of thing that can happen to any of us as we wander through life's trials and tribulations.
As Bob Harris, Bill Murray is just perfect in the role; even when he is serious, he can be very funny. Scarlett Johansson, as Charlotte, whom I'd seen a few months back in Match Point (2005), Woody Allen's suspense thriller, is refreshingly plain, and portrays the waiting wife with studied skill. The rest of the cast, although necessary, is barely evident throughout the movie: nearly all of the camera work focuses on the two almost-and-if-not-for-other-commitments-might-have-been lovers. So, there is a slow build-up, as the two get to know each other casually, and then eventually learn how to reveal some of their innermost thoughts and feelings to each other. In fact, the first hour is very slow, and, once or twice, during that time, my resolve to see it through to the end nearly went. So, I'm glad I ignored my impatience...
Sofia Coppola's theme is thus well played out between the two: life is chaotic and chance encounters can lead to big and better things; but, only if you have the courage of your convictions. That is, if you are prepared to pay the price, whatever that is. An excellent near parallel is David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945) with Trevor Howard and Cecelia Johnson that, if you haven't seen, is worth the time to see. Having said that, it would spoil this story to say any more about how this film ends.
But, I'll finish by saying that I was impressed by Coppola's direction this time round, and I do recommend this film as a thoughtful and thought-provoking slice of life that could be yours, or mine, any day of the week.