Two strangers in a strange land

Rating: 9/10 (20 January 2015)

Actor Bob Harris is past his prime so instead of making popular movies he is shooting an advert for whisky in Japan; he doesn't want to be there and what is more he can't sleep. The much younger Charlotte is another American staying that the same hotel; her husband is working as a photographer and she is rather bored and also can't sleep. Bob and Charlotte seem an unlikely pair but they get chatting over a drink and start to explore Tokyo together.
At first one would expect this to end up a romance despite the fact that they are both married and she is much younger than he is neither seems that happy in their marriages and films are full of older men involved with younger woman; this however is different it is just two people enjoying each other's company.
The story is told at a gentle pace; some would say slow but I was never bored despite the fact that boredom is one of the things that drives our protagonists together. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson both do fine jobs; there are other characters but these two are very much the centre of attention. Their characters are believable if not totally likable. There are a good number of laughs to be had along the way; many due to their difficulties understanding Japanese but not entirely. The way Tokyo is filmed, mostly at night or twilit gives the film a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere that adds to the feeling of being somewhat lost in its alien culture. Overall I found this bitter-sweet film really enjoyable although I can see how others might not be such fans.