Excellent.

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2004)

'Lost in Translation' is definitely not for everyone. It is quiet, sombre, reflective, at times a depressing reminder, and a very hard movie to watch for someone accustomed to the multiplexes and expectant of a Hollywood feature with style and attitude. But guess what, this movie is art and is unbelievably beautiful. I have never seen anything this real in a long time.
American actor Bob Harris is suffering the results of working in Japan and being married after many years. Charlotte is a student graduate who is suffering the marriage cracks after two years. They find each other lost in Tokyo and a friendship begins.
Score one for 'L.I.T' is the absence of unnecessary music. The absence of something melodramatic to fill the mood was the biggest factor to making the film work. You can concentrate on understanding the characters and appreciating the world they are lost in. Score two: the acting. The subtle tones imply of people who are laid low by exactly what they are lost in. Murray and Ms. Johansson are perfect. Score three was seeing this movie never get caught up more than what it actually is, of two people finding and coping through each other from the worlds they are put through. I could go on forever, but to put it simply, if you like the big Hollywood features, do not watch this. People who ponder their existence and wonder what it's like through art, 'Lost in Translation' is your ticket.