Lost in the story...

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2003)

The thing that I liked most about Lost In Translation was the complete and utter absence of any formula whatsoever. There was no sex, no guns, no rape, pillaging, murdering or any of the violence that make "blockbuster" "must-see" movies.
This is a whole different outing than Virgin Suicides was. It's a simple story, beautifully told, with great humor and style.
Murray, probably improvising as usual, even affected the cast on occasion, with his novel wit. Johansson was utterly believable too, as the slightly homesick, bored young wife.
As for the story; it was very simple and almost too easy to identify with the characters in some way.
Coppola is fast proving herself to be some kind of genius. She brings together all the elements and it just works. Appropriate soundtrack, not in-yer-face but subtle, amazingly simple yet brilliant direction, an obvious talent for spot-on research (and especially impressive when we consider this is Tokyo-as near another planet as is available), and of course the perfect cast.
But the real talent shows through when you realize that we are simply privvy to a few days in the lives of the actors. There are no life-affirming truths, no catharsis, no zenith. And yet the story is so compelling and yet so subtle. The problems that exist for the characters at the beginning remain after the end. Nothing is fixed.
All in all, a top movie, possibly the movie of 2003. Now I just have to wait for Coppola's next amazing movie.