Sofia Knows Movies and this one is Simply Amazing

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2003)

It's so rare to see a movie like this (a simple two lost souls meeting in an alien land flick) work on so many levels, and it possesses a rare trifecta of surprises. First, there is Bill Murray's performance, a most subtlety hilarious and heartbreakingly real portrayal of an over-the-hill actor named Bob still searching for identify and a way to connect to others. Second, there is Sofia Coppola's direction. It's both lovely and amazing to see her use the same dreamy fluidity in storytelling that she used in her directorial debut, "The Virgin Suicides." There we were spellbound by her depiction of 1970's suburbia. Here we are spellbound by her portrait of present day media-saturated Tokyo. In both films, we revel in the characters lost in these mosaics. The underlying continuity of themes in both films (which are very different stories surface wise) shows Coppola is a true auteur and could have just as compelling a career ahead of her as her father. Thirdly and perhaps most surprisingly is the performance from Scarlett Johansson. It's so nuanced, natural, and utterly compelling (those lips, those hips, that smile) that you can hardly believe such a mature performance could come from such a young woman. Just as Sofia made me fall in love with Kirsten Dunst in "The Virgin Suicides" so I fell head over heals for Scarlett's lonely newlywed Charlotte and for Miss Johansson herself.
There's a delightful array of small details and subplots to rejoice in here. The look at Japanese culture and their treatment of American tourists and celebrities is as entertaining as it is astute. The little chats accompanying the slow progression of Charlotte and Bob's friendship ring true and are both funny and touching. The silent moments in the film carry just as much weight as the ones filled with the wonderful soundtrack and dialogue. And Anna Farris' hilarious send-up of Cameron Diaz comes across as frightfully truthful without ever seeming mean-spirited. As of mid-October this is probably the best film of the year, and I suspect like Sofia's first film, it will age very well thanks to the rich details and truthful look at loneliness and the desire to be found.