I think I know what he whispers at the end.

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2006)

Bob (Bill Murray), a fading movie star, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), an unsettled newlywed, are two very different people, with something very real in common - their loneliness. They inadvertently find each other in a hotel bar in Tokyo, as Charlotte is left alone by her jet-setting photographer husband, and Bob struggles to get through his $2m dollar contract to promote various products with a sense of humour. Although attracted to each other, their growing feelings are not based on lust, rather on mutual respect and understanding. Key scenes in the film display this brilliantly - from Charlotte smiling innocently at Bob in the hotel lift, to Bob tenderly caressing Charlotte's foot in one of the most character-revealing moments in the film.
Bill Murray well deserved his Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a fading film star - a part extremely close to home, perhaps, given his somewhat fading status himself before this film. Johansson gives a sophisticated, heart-breaking performance of 25-year old Charlotte, with a maturity far beyond her real-life 18 years at the time of filming. Her face is one, for some reason or another, you simply have to watch.
Murray and Johansson have amazing chemistry. At times, they only need to look at each other to communicate how they're feeling - in fact, they don't converse that much at all. This is refreshing in a day and age when communication is so impersonal - we rush off a quick phone call, we punch in a text, we fire off an e-mail; when do we just stop, and look into someone's eyes? This theme is made all the more poignant by the surroundings of Tokyo: in a land of technology and new inventions, Bob and Charlotte's quiet inter-play is played out against a background of innovative architecture, flashing lights, and natives enthusiastically absorbed in the latest noisy gadgets.
Some critics and viewers have claimed there is no definitive plot to Lost in Translation. This is perhaps true, but what can be more real, or more plot-inspiring, than human nature? Bob and Charlotte's subtle exchanges are worth ten explosions in some of the more mindless action films. However nor is this a typical will they/won't they rom-com fare - although there are some comedic moments interspersed with serious concepts, LIT doesn't fit neatly into any genre.
Writer and Director Sofia Coppola has created something very special here, and something as close to perfection as a film can be. The imagery is breath-taking and the score perfectly apt. The unpredictable ending will break your heart, and you'll want to watch this film again and again - though you may not quite be able to put your finger on why. However this is again a reflection of life - unexplainable emotions; just like those contained in the film. Watch it.