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Lost in Translation (2003)

Starring Scarlet Johansson, Bill Murray, Giovanni Ribisi, and Anna Faris.  Cinematography by Lance Acord. Edited by Sarah Flack. Produced by Sofia Coppola and Ross Katz. Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola.

Bob Harris (played by Bill Murray) is a fifty year old American movie star. He is struggling with both his career and marriage and feels the strains of an approaching mid-life crisis. He has flown to Tokyo, Japan to shoot a whiskey commercial and despite the millions of people surrounding him he is completely alone.

Charlotte (played by Scarlet Johansson) is also in Tokyo and feeling the same isolation. She is in her mid-twenties, a recent Yale grad, and is reaching the later end of being a newlywed.  She has come to Japan to be with her photographer husband (played by Giovanni Ribisi), but he ditches her at every occasion to hang out with rock and movie stars.  Bob and Charlotte meet in the hotel lounge and immediately hit it off.  They are soon spending nearly every waking minute with each other; bar hopping, singing karaoke, and just aimlessly wandering the massive metropolis that surrounds them. A beautiful relationship is blossoming between them, but their time in Tokyo is nearing its end.

Sofia Coppola spent a lot of time in Tokyo in her early twenties touring the city and taking pictures.  It was during these trips that she decided that she would like to make a film there.  She was also motivated to do a film with Bill Murray and showcase his more sensitive and emotional side. 

So with an idea in mind she developed an intensely intimate and personal story about an accidental relationship developing in a foreign environment.  With her limited budget, and a mere twenty seven days to shoot, Coppola packed up her small American crew and crossed the Pacific to make her flim.  Lost in Translation ended up being a tremendous hit both critically and financially. 

It earned the right to sell itself as “the most celebrated film of the year”; which is a hard claim to argue against. And while the critics were busy handing Coppola awards, the movie-going public was driving in like herds to see what all the fuss was about. It’s nice to see a film achieve everything it truly deserves.

One of the truly inspired concepts of Lost in Translation is development of a platonic relationship between a man and a woman that would be romantically linked in the second act of any other film that they might of appear in. Instead of taking the conventional route of romance and sexual tension (which is undoubtedly underlying but never explored), our two characters end up being more significant to each other than they could ever be as lovers. They are both at a crossroads in their lives but for just a handful of days they are able to put all of their emotional baggage aside and truly enjoy the company of another person.  Would they have the same effect on each other if they had met in Salt Lake City?  Probably not.

As they say, “We’ll always have Tokyo.”  Wait, nobody says that, but you get the idea.

Budget: $4,000,000

Total US Gross: $44,585,453

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 102 Minutes

US Release Date: 10/3/03

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Awards:
Academy Awards: 
Won for best original screenplay. 
Nominated for best actor, director, and picture.

Golden Globes: 
Won for best actor, original screenplay, and comedy or musical. 
Nominated for best supporting actress and director. 

Directors Guild of America: 
Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. 

Writers Guild of America: 
Won for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

Tagline: Everyone Wants To Be Found.

Quote: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.”