Great second effort from Coppola

Rating: 8/10 (20 April 2004)

Sofia Coppola quickly went from being fodder (Godfather III anyone?) to garnering a lot of my respect after seeing `The Virgin Suicides' a few years ago, so before all of the hype about `Lost in Translation' surfaced, I was interested in seeing the film. Unfortunately I didn't get around to it until recently, but I already had my doubts. When there is a lot of hype about a film, I immediately doubt it until it changes my mind, so I wasn't even sure if it should have been a Best Picture contender. Of course, after now having seen the film finally, I am positively certain of its merit.
One thing about the film that I have heard more than once is that the viewer `didn't get it' the first time, and didn't understand the big deal, but when given a second chance, the film was fantastic. After seeing the film once, I'm not sure why it leaves that impression on some because I found it to simply be a charming, romantic and thought-provoking little film. The characters are extremely well written, and the Tokyo backdrop is at times both lonely and vibrant. After seeing the films of Wes Anderson, I was not surprised by Murray's sincere and brilliant performance and I cannot imagine another actor playing that role. Johanssen's casting was not as inspired, but she did a great job nonetheless.
While there is nothing overtly offensive about the film in terms of content, this film isn't for everyone, although the people who didn't like the film threw me, and surprised by those who did, so it's hard to pin down the `ideal viewer.' I would suggest giving it a shot, regardless because it is a superior film.
--Shelly