Entertaining, but functions on deeper levels

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2005)

There are a lot of things at the surface level in this movie that make it quite entertaining, but it functions at deeper levels as well.
Some of the humor is up front, like the visual effects regarding the height differences between Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and the average Japanese shown when he is in a crowded elevator or adjusting a shower head. Or the Japanese TV show that he appears on that is way over the top, and the scary thing being that I think it may be for real. There are a lot of little one-liners like when Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) tells Bob that she has a degree in philosophy and he says, "Lots of money there."
For those of us who have not been to Japan, this movie also serves as somewhat of a travelogue. The Tokyo scenes convince me that I don't want to go there - its neon jungle is isolating and repellent. It puts Las Vegas to shame. The video arcade that Charlotte visits is so outrageous that it creates a strange fascination. One of my favorite scenes is the dance a young Japanese boy is doing with his video game - his movements are so fluid and perfectly timed that it is almost a ballet. The sensual assault of the City is put to good use in its effect on the two protagonists - they are alone in a strange land and the looks on their faces as they drive through the City give evidence to their isolation. However, there are oases of grace as when Charlotte visits a temple or a beautiful garden, or the kaleidoscopic effect of multiply colored umbrellas carried on a busy walkway.
The heart of the movie is the affectionate relationship that develops between Bob and Charlotte. It develops at a gradual pace and it is perfectly believable. There is a sexual tension between them tempered by a respectful restraint. You get hints about their deepening feelings rather than being hit over the head with it. Bob decides to stay for an extra day to do an interview on a TV show that he really does not want to do and he has a one-night stand with another woman, more his age, but keeps his sexual distance from the younger Charlotte.
The obvious meaning of the title applies to the cultural and language challenges anyone faces in visiting a foreign country where he does not speak the language. But a deeper meaning of the title applies to the inability of friends and spouses to understand and listen to each other. Charlotte's husband is a self-centered ass who has no real interest in what his wife is saying, or what she feels or thinks. He is too busy on an ego trip with his career. Charlotte calls a friend of hers back in the States and tries to have a conversation, but soon gets a "Gotta run." And Charlotte is not the great communicator either - when asked how things are going she says it's great, when in fact she is lonely and bored. Bob experiences very similar interactions on the phone with his wife. She is more interested in his choice of tile color than what he is thinking. But there are times when Bob and Charlotte do talk, and that is one of the things that attracts them to each other.
In the final event, though he is tempted to stay, in an act of acceptance of reality Bob leaves to go back to his family. There is that famous final scene where he whispers something into Charlotte's ear (which is not even subtitled) and they part - he aggrieved and she with a smile. I think he simply offered Charlotte thanks and encouragement that she would find her way in life.
Bill Murray is perfect for the part of an aging actor on the downward slope who is hawking a whiskey for sizable money (Orson Welles comes to mind). The beauty of his acting here is in his reaction shots portraying a mildly depressed middle-aged man who is struggling to deal with a crazy world. At the end you are wanting to know more about Bob and Charlotte - more about their pasts and their futures.
And what was with that golf scene?