Nothing is lost, everything is gained

Rating: 9/10 (19 September 2003)

As a writer/director, Sofia Coppola is endowed with the wonderful gift of confidence - she is able to resist the insecure temptation to over-tell her stories, opting instead to allow the characters and the situations to unfold organically and naturally, without artifice, heavy-handedness or contrivance. She achieved this in The Virgin Suicides and she takes this concept even further here, managing to create superb emotional resonance that rings true in every frame.
Bill Murray's quirky talents have never been better utilized; Coppola inspires him to give a stunningly restrained performance, letting his true subtle mastery shine. And Scarlett J. is wonderful here as well, infusing Charlotte with just the right amount of desperation without letting her become a victim. It's a wise film on every level - poignant, humorous and insightful beyond belief. A pleasure.