A delightful look at confusion and friendship

Rating: Null/10 (19 September 2004)

"Lost In Translation" lost souls Bob and Charlotte form an unlikely relationship while in Tokyo for personal affairs in exchanging the details of their uncertain and often confusing lives, while relating in their fortunes, troubles, and experiences amidst the initial consternation of visiting another seemingly strange culture in Japan. There are many hidden meanings to be taken from this film: soul searching, culture clash, and self-discovery among some of the immediate receptions that come to my mind. The film, for the most part, is cordial and engaging in its presentation of such messages, involving us in the lives of two strange acquaintances in a foreign scene, who probably aren't entirely happy and confident in their current states of life, and who exchange personal feelings of qualms, desires, and resolutions, in improving how they feel about their lives. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to be", remarks Charlotte; this is the central, underlying theme of the film, which sympathizes with one's innermost uncertainties about future and even offers hearty suggestions to such curiosities. "You'll figure that out. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you", replies Bob in response to Charlotte's earlier statement. This is a film of remarkable perception about life, of the hopes of happiness we once dreamed of which have now disappeared from our conception, of exchanging stories and troubles to discover a better understanding of who we are, and in relating with one another in confusing, foreign situations (e.g. Americans in Tokyo). The acting is exceptional, yet I do feel that Murray's performance was somewhat overrated; his demeanor is consistently mundane and static, rather than alert and human. Johansson is charming and promising as an acting newcomer, yet hardly a legendary debut, as she is sometimes too low-key and quiet to really shine in the entirety of the film. The direction, while consistently earnest (especially in those neon scenes of exploring the world of Tokyo), is perhaps overly condescending and hardly fascinating. Yet the screenplay really stands out as original, focused, and worthy, in exploring a human relationship in a peculiar scene. This being said, getting "Lost" is certainly worth the journey. *** out of ****