Reviews of the Past: Nothing Lost in This Film

From October 22, 2007:

Lost in Translation was the next film in queue. Again, I don't know why I missed it when it was released, and it was an Oscar film no less! I have wanted to see it for a long time, for reasons not the least of which include Bill Murray. I love this actor. He really has a wide range, of which people have only recently, relatively speaking, taken notice. Granted, he began his career as strictly a comedian, and his evolution as an actor has been just that, a meticulous and natural evolution, but arguably, hints of the depth of his acting ability were evident even in some of his earliest comedic performances.

This movie blew me away. I have only one complaint about the whole thing - one. Other than that, I think it's a beautiful, searingly artistic film, and now I want to check out all of Sofia Coppola's other two films. She's got talent, that one.

Bill plays Bob Harris, who finds himself in Tokyo. He's an actor past his prime who, needing a job, sells out for a hefty fee to hock whiskey in Japan. He's also in a seemingly dead-end and loveless marriage, leaving him on the brink of an inevitable midlife crisis. In the same hotel, Charlotte (Scarlett Johannson) whiles away the long hours of the day after tagging along with her photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi), expecting romance and instead ruminating on how her husband has changed in the short time they've been married and in a quarterlife crisis, as she has been unable to launch a career of her own. These two lost souls find each other in their hotel's bar and spark an unlikely friendship and a slow, natural, yet awkward romance, in which they have surprisingly much in common. Each fills the other's void for the duration of their stay, which is only temporary (I don't think that's a spoiler...I'm not saying how they end up).

Despite the slow and delicate progression of this movie, I was always engaged. Sofia Coppola, both screenwriter and director on this project, superbly told this story without wasting a frame. She began the film with very little dialogue, except on the part of the Japanese entourage that greeted Bob both at the hotel and his whiskey commerical shoots, but did well to establish the foreign surrounds and their effect on Bob and Charlotte, who could not have already felt more alienated in their respective situations if they tried. As awkward as their encounter was, it never felt forced. It was played naturally and with grace in a believable manner by both leads.

In fact, I have read how this may be Bill's finest performance of his career. I would have to agree. He was still able to showcase funny moments, but the quiet moments were the most impressive, as he conveyed every emotion, every nuance of thought without saying anything. That is truly fine acting.

ScarJo was also impressive, giving a vulnerable and thoughtful turn as the lonely spouse. Normally, she annoys me, for reasons unknown to myself, but in this film, I related to her in ways I did not expect, and that was largely due to how convincing she was in the portrayal of her character.

The ending was also beautiful and, in many ways, perfect. My one complaint (without spoiling) was the private moment Bob and Charlotte exchange on the busy Tokyo street. While I understand the artistic choice that was made and even understand the symbolism, as a storyteller, I am frustrated that Bob's last words to Charlotte were whispered, so only they could hear and not the viewer. It seemed out of step with the otherwise in-depth perspective the viewer has been given into their individual thoughts and intimate encounters with each other. By the way, when I say intimate, I mean personal intimacy, not the other kind. As I said, I understand the symbolism of them sharing this time together, and much in secret, in the middle of a crowded world in which they are otherwise forgotten, but as the viewer, I also feel slightly gypped in the end, as if I've missed the payoff, the culmination of what this relationship meant to them, the parting words that would give this relationship full disclosure and meaning. It may have been an artistic choice, but it's one that I can't let go. I had to rewind the DVD a couple of times, just to see if I could hear Bob's whispers, because I felt I missed something important when I otherwise understood every other frame in the movie.

For that reason, I rate this movie an 8.5 for this minor flaw. Maybe others don't view it as a flaw, but I do. Like I said, I am a storyteller at heart myself, and story for me is the most important part of any film (even if it is a visual story with other artistic elements in tow). I felt I was denied part of the story. Otherwise, this film was brilliant in almost every other way, and I truly loved it.

Yet, I don't think it passes the test. I'm not sure I could watch it repeatedly. As well constructed and meaningful as it was, it was also sad; I saw it as a portrait of loneliness and filling the void of that loneliness, which it was, but that makes it a tough film to pull out repeatedly. Also, though the relationship between Bob and Charlotte was believable, it's not necessarily one I can relate to on multiple viewings.

All in all, there was nothing lost in translation for me here. Despite the wait and the waxing about the closing whispers, I am deeply impressed with this film and with the mature, emotionally resonant topical matter that this young screenwriter and director chose to tackle. I can't wait to explore her other films, and I highly recommend this one.