Understanding a movie

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2004)

First of all: I just got home from seeing this film. I loved it. I give it ten out of ten. Simple as that.
I couldn't see why some comments here describe this movie as "boring". Sure, if you're looking for action, unexpected plot twists or Bill Murray as in "Ghostbusters", stay at home. Not your kind of movie. I had to chose between "The Last Samurai" and this one, and I'm glad that I went for "Lost in Translation" (will see Tom Cruise sooner or later anyway).
So what do we have in Sofia Coppola's brilliant little Film? Two lonely people, cast into a world they do not understand - neither the language nor the rules of society there. Watching this clash of cultures was very funny, yet no situation felt constructed or unbelieveable. This is Japan as it is. People there are weird when judging them by our standards. But as the story evolves, as Murray and Johansson get to know each other (and as we get to know them), one cannot help but wonder which society is weirder, the Japanese or the American? Why do Bob and Charlotte need to leave their home country and go to a place where they feel like complete aliens, to be able to realize that they have become aliens to their own lives?
The characters do not really develop, it's more what they learn about themselves and their lives what makes the movie so good. Everything is totally believable. There may be silly moments, but there's nothing that you or me couldn't experience in our lives. The characters portrayed are very credible, and so is the relationship that develops between them. We can follow every step of this process, and if you listen carefully to what they say, if you watch them just as carefully, you will be able to predict the development. No surprises, as this is what happens a million times a day, all over the world - and that's the secret of the movie: it is true!
Add to this some wonderful actors, brilliant photography and an amazing musical score (I rarely buy soundtracks, but this one I WILL buy!) and you get what to me will be one of the movie highlights of this year (it just started here in Germany). Highly recommendable!