Bill Murray's Finest Performance in Coppola Gem...

Rating: Null/10 (23 March 2004)

In a career that can easily be defined as a cinematic rollercoaster ride, Bill Murray has gone from the heights of comic madness (CADDYSHACK, STRIPES, GHOSTBUSTERS), to a major plunge, after his earnest but ill-fated first attempt at drama (THE RAZOR'S EDGE), to a rebuilding mode, as a less manic, more sympathetic comic actor (WHAT ABOUT BOB?, GROUNDHOG DAY), to a dramatic actor of considerable skill (MAD DOG AND GLORY, RUSHMORE, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS), with an occasional 'blast from the past' creeping in (SCROOGED, KINGPIN, SPACE JAM). Less pretentious than Robin Williams, and not 'cuddly' like Steve Martin, Murray has become more interesting over the years, his face a road map of a fully-lived life, his signature sarcasm mellowing into a gentle bemusement at a world he doesn't truly 'fit' in. All he lacked was a vehicle to truly capture his essence, and brilliant young writer/director Sofia Coppola has supplied it, in the wonderful LOST IN TRANSLATION.
As 'Bob Harris', a '70s action star whose career has been reduced to accepting 'product endorsement' gigs, he finds himself in Tokyo, promoting whiskey in a culture totally alien to him. Jet-lagged and dazed, he stumbles through a commercial shoot with a manic Japanese director, and the 'gift' of a call girl ("Lip my stockings!" she screams, substituting an 'L' for an 'R'), and winds up frequenting the hotel bar, substituting booze for sleep.
Similarly 'out of sync' is Charlotte (wonderfully played by rising young star Scarlett Johansson), wife of an American photographer (Giovanni Ribisi) doing a series of assignments in Japan. With little to do while he is on location, she 'drifts', unable to fully embrace the culture, or to find a purpose in her own life. The bar becomes a late night sanctuary for her, as well.
Naturally, the two displaced Americans meet, and one of the most natural, warm friendships to be seen on film in recent memory emerges. To Coppola's credit, she allows it to be romantic without becoming overtly sexual, grounding it in the reality of two married people able to 'love' one another without the guilt of an indiscretion (when Harris foolishly 'cheats', it is with a cabaret singer in a one-night stand, which he is embarrassed by, and Charlotte takes him 'to task' for). Because the affection between the pair is based on friendship, foremost, the 34-year age difference between them is never an issue; they are truly kindred spirits in a world not of their choosing.
Coppola (whose earlier directorial effort, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, displayed a masterful understanding of teen sexuality), here shows a sensitivity of midlife crisis that is remarkable. "The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you," Harris explains, as Charlotte expresses her concerns about her own future. An impressive observation, from the pen of a 32-year old writer/director!
From the casual evenings in the bar, to the wild and amusing 'dates' in Tokyo, to the poignant conclusion of the film, Coppola, Murray, and Johansson hit all the right 'buttons', never falling into the melodramatic clichés that often ruin romantic films.
Sofia Coppola won a well-deserved Oscar for her screenplay (in a year without Hobbits, she may have gotten a 'Best Director' Oscar, as well). Scarlett Johansson's performance deserved more recognition; she will be a force to reckon with, in the future.
And for Bill Murray, the film put him at the pinnacle; an Oscar nomination for Best Actor (which, although he lost to Sean Penn, prompted host Billy Crystal to proclaim, after the announcement, "Bill, we all LOVE you!", sparking the audience of his peers to an ovation).
LOST IN TRANSLATION is a testament to the wonderful actor Bill Murray has become!