Pleasant and very well-acted.

Rating: 8/10 (27 September 2005)

Lost in Translation is not a film looking to dazzle its audience with special effects or make them burst out laughing at anything. This is a simple film about two strangers who meet in a Tokyo hotel and share some quality time with each other while trying to figure some things out. Bill Murray has never been better, and Scarlet Johansson more than holds her own opposite the legendary actor/comedian.
Murray plays Bob Harris, a washed-up actor now relegated to doing whiskey commercials and photo shoots in Japan for his income. The film begins with him checking into a posh hotel and being enthusiastically greeted by a gang of hotel employees. After checking in, Bob is left with the predicament of having to find something to do in a strange place when he cannot fall asleep. He looks so helpless in the shot where he's just sitting on the bed staring back at the camera. Also staying in the hotel is a young woman named Charlotte (Johansson). She is with her photographer husband who is in town for a shoot. Even when they are next to each other, he barely pays her any attention. After a couple of days, Bob and Charlotte find themselves sitting at the hotel bar together and both feeling pretty lonely.
The relationship that develops between them is deep and thoughtful. Both characters need one another while lost in this strange land. We see them going out to clubs, hanging out with some locals, and having dinner. The whole time we see them growing closer and closer. Thankfully the relationship never becomes sexual, or it would be harder to like these characters. They share an awkward kiss or two in an elevator, and a longer one in their final scenes together, but the relationship is more memorable for what they say to each other. They have one particularly moving conversation about children while lying in bed. Bob is able to shed some wisdom about something Charlotte has likely never given that much thought to before.
At one point, Bob sleeps with the hotel lounge singer. He is a married man, but it isn't really clear who he feels the most guilty for. His wife or Charlotte. He is clearly embarrassed when Charlotte catches them together and his phone conversations back home seem less than cheerful. You get the sense that he'd much rather have Charlotte in his bed than the lounge singer.
When it's time for Bob to go, he doesn't want leave. He knows he will miss Charlotte terribly and will most likely never see her again. A hot blonde hits on him in the lobby and he hardly notices. All he can do is watch Charlotte as the elevator doors close on her. Somehow as his cab is driving away, he sees her again on the street and he orders the cab to stop. Bob then tracks her down again and the two share a private moment together in the middle on hundreds of people. It's private because we cannot hear what he says in her ear, and we probably have no business knowing in the first place. It's just two interesting characters having a moment to themselves. By then you'll likely feel they've earned it.
The film is beautifully shot and modestly paced, to say the least. Coppola has some genuine skill behind the camera, and she will likely have a long and successful career. The film is rated R, but take out a brief scene at a strip club and it barely qualifies for PG-13. With all the accolades this film received, it was bound to attract quite a bit of criticism, also. The best way to enjoy this film is to forget about all the awards and nominations and just take it for what it is. A simple, pleasant story of two people who happen to meet in a strange place far from home.
8 of 10 stars.
The Hound.