Sleepless in Tokyo

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2003)

What happens when one arrives in Tokyo after an extremely from a long flight? Either one goes to sleep, or one ends up with a severe case of insomnia, as Bob Harris, finds out to be the case. What does one do when one is trying to catch up on some badly needed sleep in a foreign hotel? One watches television. But what if the language is Japanese and one can't comprehend a word of what is being said? One heads for the bar, if it is open, and proceed to get drunk and get into trouble...
Such is the premise of Ms Coppola's incredible incisive film. It's curious how she has gotten inside the character of Bob Harris. She knows him very well. It is to her credit that she has balanced all the right elements to come out with this magnificent film that has a look of someone with a lot of film experience behind.
I was not a fan of her previous film, The Virgin Suicides, but this one has its heart in the right place. She really knows what she is doing, which, for a second time film director to have achieved, it's a lot.
Ms Coppola has been able to get magnificent performances from her two principal actors: Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson. Bill Murray, above all is perfection personified. His take on this has been Hollywood actor, Bob Harris, is so true that it hurts. There are layers upon layers that Mr. Murray brings to his portrayal of this lonely man who has seen better days, and now has to go make commercials in Japan to make a living since probably no one at home remembers him.
On the other hand, the Charlotte of Scarlet Johansson is a triumph as well for this young actress. She exudes such an intelligence that one might think she is a much older person than what she really is. She is in a hopeless situation married to a photographer who obviously is in his own little world to realize what a precious gift he has in his wife.
It is inevitable that these two lost souls are drawn into each other in this strange place where they don't seem to even fit. The film is a bittersweet comedy. Bob and Charlotte communicate in ways they don't seem to be able to talk with their own spouses. The attraction is mutual. One can see they belong together despite the age difference. At the end there is a hint that maybe they will be united after all.
Ms Coppola's view on the culture differences are hysterical. Her take on the Japanese may not be politically correct, but it makes a lot of sense in the context of having the tables turned on the Americans that are in that country making millions, and never taking a moment to try to understand what is in front of them. It is only Charlotte who shows a spirit of adventure in enjoying the magnificent scenery of Kyoto and other religious sites in Tokyo.
Great things are in store for the viewer in future films directed by Sofia Coppola, I am sure.