Sofia Coppola's sophomore directorial endeavor, "Lost In Translation," cements her position as one of Hollywood's next great filmmakers. 1999's "Virgin Suicides" hinted at Coppola's subtle skill as a writer and director, and "Lost In Translation" proves that talent runs in her family, which includes father Francis Ford ("The Godfather" trilogy) and cousin Nicholas Cage ("Adaptation").
In her latest, Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American movie star whose slowing career has landed him in Tokyo making whiskey commercials for $2 million. His family doesn't miss him, he's suffering from insomnia, and most importantly, he's lost.
Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is a philosophy graduate fresh out of college, who accompanies her neglectful husband (Giovanni Ribisi) to Tokyo, who is working there as a photographer. She suffers from the same ailments as Harris, and the unusual couple discovers that through the course of the film.
Coppola's goal in the film is clear: to let the audience understand how easy it is to get lost and feel lonely. Accompanying a shot of monstrous digital billboards is a wave of soft music and silence, which is contradictory but symbolic when set against the crowded busy streets of Tokyo's sprawling skyline. Tokyo ends up being the perfect metaphor for that feeling in life when it feels like there's no one to turn to, and a feeling of insignificance takes over.
In Charlotte's search for relief from boredom, she travels to Buddhist temples and Japanese gardens surrounding Tokyo. Coppola brilliantly juxtaposes shots of Johansson attempting to understand unintelligible mass transit railway maps against sublime, serene scenes of the temples and gardens, evoking more feelings of disorientation.
Murray's subtle looks of shock and perplexity are as absolutely hilarious as they are telling of Harris' extinct feeling. His slight changes of gesture are reminiscent of his performance in "Rushmore" and they transform him from a washed up fifty-something actor to a glowing child on Christmas morning in a matter of seconds.
Johansson adds just as strong a performance as Murray, as Charlotte is often seen simply wandering around Tokyo and staring out her hotel window in her underwear. Her presence, beauty and actions are mesmerizing, and one can't help but be enthralled as she drifts through seas of people and buildings wearing a face of confusion and awe.
The unlikely pair may look like complete opposites at a glance, but their chemistry seems perfectly natural. Facial expressions and body movements take the place of words in many of the scenes between them, and somehow it comes off beautifully. In one of the best-shot scenes of the film, Johansson, sporting a pink wig, simply rests her head on Murray's shoulder after a late night karaoke session, and it speaks volumes.
Critics and audiences have praised this film already, and its acclaim is surely due. Murray should pick up his long deserved first Oscar nomination, as should Johansson and Coppola. This film is good enough that it could take the first clean sweep of the top five awards since "Silence of the Lambs" in 1991. "Lost In Translation" is only playing at one theatre in town, The Dipson Amherst on the corner of Bailey and Main.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
