Lost In Translation| Review

Bill Murray spent most of his time pre-2003 in stereotypical comedies. Great in themselves, but not that important in the grand scheme of filmmaking. Murray helped improved his career for the better when he starred in Lost In Translation.

Bob Harris (Bill Murray), an American on the brink of a mid-life crisis, arrives in Tokyo, Japan to film a whiskey commercial. Bob spends most of his days trying to resurrect his time of Hollywood fame and stardom as he unwillingly embarks on his departure out of the studio system. His wife, Lydia, constantly stalks him with an overabundance of letters. In the same hotel that Bob stays at, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a Yale alumni, and her husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi), a photographer, both stay as well.

John spends most of his days out in the city working on a project, which leaves Charlotte on her own. Bob's in the same boat, when he's not working on the job, he's left to wander around the city and the hotel. Over time, they generate a strong relationship with one another after countless hours. After a week or so passes, Bob gets in a limo and heads to the airport. On the way, he runs into Charlotte and they both share a melancholic moment as the film comes to a close.

Lost In Translation works on every level thanks to a true auteur behind the scenes. Sofia Coppola crafts one of the best, if not the best, screenplays of the 21st Century. The dialogue and storyline work smoothly with no noticeable bumps in either factor. Coppola directs the film perfectly to reflect the melancholic atmosphere she was aiming for. Countless and infamous images due in part to a master director and cinematographer. Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray both give career-defining performances. Overall, a film that comes very close to an above-par work of cinema

Fun Fact: Giovanni Ribisi is my 2nd cousin.

Time Stamp: April 17, 2020