A Journey I Never Want To End

Rating: 9/10 (22 June 2015)

Lost in Translation is a very unique film. On the one time it can be incredibly funny, but at the same time is sidelined by a constant feeling of melancholy. We follow these characters throughout, but are constantly held at an arm's length from them. And Sofia Coppola plays with our expectations of what constitutes a typical Hollywood romance, bringing originality to the genre through the way she romanticises the atmosphere in Tokyo and creating a beautifully unusual relationship between two unlikely people.
Firstly we have Bill Murray, who takes on his most dramatic and quite possibly his best role yet. His dry wit and subtle nuances are put to best use as he plays Bob Harris, a faded movie star who has taken a job filming a commercial for Suntory whisky. But whilst there he is thrown in a melancholy, dealing with a midlife crisis, questioning why he's doing an advert rather than taking more serious roles and a wife who seems to no longer need him. On top of this whilst working on his commercial he's the only American there, unable to have a conversation with anyone. Those who do speak English seem to say to him the bare minimum giving basic instructions like "turn and look in camera".
Then there's Scarlett Johansson, in one of her earliest roles as a young bride of a photographer. She's there with her husband, but just like Murray's character she's trapped in the same state of isolation and melancholy. With nothing to do she spends most of the day alone lounging around at home not even needing to put on pants and when she does go out she's lost in an unfamiliar world with nobody to share such unusual sights with. The short time that her husband is there he seems to be more interested in talking to a blonde actress than he does in spending time with her, leaving her feeling even more alone when her husband is there.
But after 30 minutes stuck in this melancholy, these two lonely souls finally cross paths and together they spark something of an unusual relationship. We finally begin to see the characters break from their state of melancholy as they (along with us) start to see the beauty of Tokyo along with having fun at last. Whether they bond from a genuine connection or for their need to find someone else in such a lonely place, they finally seems to have found joy with one another.
One thing that makes this relationship stick out from the standard Hollywood romance is that Coppola shows much about are characters in unusual ways. Instead of just having a conversation about how alone they feel abroad, we get to see it through having them feel separated from all the people around them in every shot. Then there's their relationship which Coppola leaves deliberately ambiguous most of the time so we feel the same kind of distance that they feel in being in a foreign land.
Another thing that really caught my eye in the film is how beautiful Coppola made the city of Tokyo.She does a great job at exploring it with different kinds of shots ranging from packed streets to the quiet surroundings of a monk, with Coppola romanticising the city and showing its true beauty. This beauty can be found in larger parts like the sight of the glowing city at night or through smaller touches like a Japanese couple in Kimono's walking about. Just like Woody Allen with Manhattan, it feels like Coppola has a real love of the feel of the city as she showcases it spectacularly throughout the film.
This is a film that really seems to resonate with me the more I watch it. Every time I seem to leave with an even greater appreciation of the complex characters and gorgeous visuals. More than that I think there's still so much about the film I've yet to figure out. There's so much ambiguity between the pair that with each viewing I feel like I walk away learning a little more about this film and it's characters.