A wonderful movie about an unusual friendship in a fascinating environment

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2006)

*May contain slight spoilers*
This movie, directed by Sofia Coppola, is truly a masterpiece. It is about an extraordinary relationship between an aging American movie star and the young wife of a photographer in an extraordinary setting, namely Tokyo, Japan.
Although Bob Harris and Charlotte couldn't be more different at first glance, there's still one thing that connects them - the feeling of awkwardness and oddness they have towards this country, the people and the culture. This culture shock creates a bond between the two characters, which develops to friendship and even a slight love affair. But this is not mainly a romance, but rather a comedy. Bob and Charlotte encounter several funny situations, mainly resulting from the fact that they are "Lost In Translation", as they don't understand the language and many of the customs are new to them.
Some people say that they didn't like this movie because it's just too unrealistic to see a kind of love affair develop between a man in his fifties and such a young beautiful woman. But those people didn't understand that there is a third "main character" in the movie who makes this relationship possible and which isn't visible at first sight, and that is the city or the country in general. This movie's plot would simply not work in any other country. The relationship is inspired by the magic and beauty of the things they encounter in this strange environment. This is where the movie finally becomes a masterpiece: The car trips through Tokyo and Charlotte's trip to Kyoto draw a fascinating picture of this unaccustomed country.
And just as Sofia Coppola said, this movie wouldn't have worked without Bill Murray as Bob. Some even see this as the best role of his career. And Scarlett Johansson's acting as Charlotte is flawless as well.
And finally, this movie's soundtrack is amazing. It fits so well to the plot, to the pictures and the characters.
Especially if you like Japan, you just have to watch this movie. And for the others, it's a good opportunity to become acquainted with it. =)