Sophia Cappola's Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2015)

This film is one of my favorites. Lost in Translation is a gorgeously produced movie. Everything from the writing to the directing to the acting flows together so beautifully. Especially the movie score, cinematography and editing. There are some quick and harsh cuts that you see a lot of young directors utilize, but in this movie it is done so well. It just works in this movie. I don't know if it's the way the end of each shot lingers a bit or what it is but the movie is so well put together. A young Scarlett Johansson puts together such a captivating performance. It's so natural and unforced. So is Bill Murray's. There performances just pull at your heart strings from there very first scenes to their very memorable and iconic last. This movie is so good that, at certain points, I can't believe that I'm watching a Sophia Cappola film. The score and soundtracks compliment the visuals so well. It's highly stylized with captivating colors in each scene that flow together perfectly. The art direction is just phenomenal. Some shots make me feel like I'm watching an urban Ingmar Bergman film.
The film succeeds to maintain this romantic vibe that is rarely seen by lot of films. It seems to derive influences from movies like 'In the Mood for Love' and 'Chunking Express'. Maybe its just because this is a Tokyo love story so the "Asian romance" influence is kind of prevalent throughout the film. However, it also has a theme of loneliness and despair. It is sprinkled though out the dialog but it also shows its self in the way certain shots are set up. Such as the ones where Bill Murray is sitting alone in his hotel room and where Scarlett is sitting next to the hotel window, staring out into the vast city landscape. This just makes every interaction between these two all the more satisfying, (SPOILER: Which makes the end all the more heartbreaking). Sophie put this film together very beautifully. It baffles me to think that she just made this masterpiece then never made anything like it ever again. She really is Francis's daughter. And 'Lost in Translation' could be her 'Godfather'. The truth is only time will tell, but if this is true, I'm anticipating seeing her 'Apocalypse Now'.