Funny and Moving, a Subtle Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (20 December 2003)

~ May contain spoilers ~
This movie is really wonderful. It portrays well the ennui and anxiety that come from being alone in a strange place. Bill Murray hasn't lost his edge at all and is hilarious in his delivery ... his acting comes out really well against the backdrop of someone being lost and confused in a foreign country. Scarlett Johansson comes off really well with Murray. Together the have a chemistry that makes their interactions hilarious and easily understood as well.
Anyone who has traveled abroad in another country will have an easy time picking up on the subtleties of the humor in this film and also on that urge to find another person lost like yourself. That is what lends a certain air of reality and magic to the film and endows it with a sense of friendliness - as if you were hearing the story and could relate because you had been a part of it.
It's an incredibly difficult film to describe, but I can say that Sofia Coppola has done a tremendous job with this movie and that anyone would really enjoy this movie if they put their mind to it. It's well-shot, well-acted, and well-made all around, and I think it's a must-see.