Bill and Scarlett's Gift

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2015)

The first and last time I watched this movie was 10+ years ago, a very long time, and remember a lingering feeling of quiet exasperation somehow mixed with an odd sense of elation, in a background of fog and disorientation reminiscent of jet lag.
Well, on one foggy late night around 3 or 4 AM, I happened to come across "Lost In Translation" on cable for the second time. There has been more than ten years of "life" that has happened since the first viewing, including things that have gleaned me new appreciation for this film's themes like sleeplessness, soul-searching, loneliness, relationships, and that all-elusive "happiness." This movie is a gift from Bill, Scarlett, and Sofia Coppola to those who have walked the elevations of life, still feeling somewhat dizzy and lost, yet have not lost the courage for what's in store.
When Murray says "I am completely lost" during his phone conversation with his wife, or when Scarlett says "I'm stuck" to Murray, the effect is greater the more one has traveled the path. Some may remember this movie as an extremely sad movie, but the reason this movie can be a gift is due to the fact it is a non-judgmental witness to our lives that silently cheers us on. "Go on. Keep going," it says.
The ambiguous ending may seem like a cop-out to some, but that's exactly how our lives swim in the sea of space and time (Sorry, I just watched "Interstellar"). Scarlett may be "stuck" in her marriage to someone she does not know, but perhaps she will leave him, write a best-seller, meet the man of her dreams. Or not. Maybe her next husband will turn out to be even worse. Maybe she will get together with Bill again, only to find out Magic can't last. People are people, and same or different issues will pop up.
Maybe Bill will find renewed energy, leave his wife, buy that Porsche, and shack up with another, inevitably younger, woman who appreciates him more, to live happily ever. Or not. Maybe that woman will grow lose appreciation for him just as much over time. Maybe it will be even Scarlett. Or..more likely, Bill will grin and bear, carry feelings of loneliness and pain, march on with his marriage and kids. For the kids.. Who can throw stones?