A great film dealing with exploration

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 2003)

Lost in Translation is a great film for those seeking adventure. It's a great story of an American movie star who is lured away from the USA to shoot some liquor advertisements in Japan. Once there, you get a sense he feels a million miles away from normality, as he looks out of the cab and sees nothing that he is able to read. The plot only thickens as he attempts to take a shower, only learning firsthand that showers in Japan are made for people under five feet! It's a hilarious stint of American humor in Japanese Culture.
As for the writing and the direction of Sophia Coppola, she does a wonderful job in pacing the story. There is an intimate feel to the film that very few American movies possess. I was thoroughly impressed in how the film had a continuity that gave it a quality of dreamlike status. Sophia Coppola truly did a fantastic job as a young writer and director.
The acting in the film is phenomenal. From the fast talking Japanese director, to Bill Murray's comical reaction to it, you should be rolling within the first ten minutes. Scarlett Johansson turns in a remarkable performance as young married girl searching for her true identity in a country where she can barely speak! It's a very courageous role, and I applaud her for taking it. The exchanges between Murray and Johansson are often quirky, however genuine. Although generations separate who they are and what they'll be, they both find a common bond in a land that is far different from back home.
Overall, I think the film has to be one of the top films of the year. It's a film with depth, character, realizations, emotions that truly give it a rare quality. I recommend this film to anyone who applauds good writing, good directing, and great acting!