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Bill Murray’s character, Bob, a high-profile actor, arrives in Tokyo to shoot a
commercial. Meanwhile Charlotte (played by Scarlett Johansson from The Horse
Whisperer and Ghost World) burrows into her room at the same hotel while her
photographer husband takes on a variety of jobs. Both are at something of an impasse in
their lives, both are overwhelmed by the city around them, both are nearing despair and
searching for something.
Not only are their circumstances
similar—strangers in a strange land—but so too are their reactions to the place. Both
Bob and Charlotte share the same sense of the absurd and an inability to sleep. In such
unfamiliar and isolating surroundings, both find something important and reassuring in
the other, and the discovery helps them both.
Right from the title shot,
you know you’re in good hands. The movie is as visually and audibly striking as the
city must be. At first there’s little dialogue—just the cacophony of street sound and
the assaults of traffic and lights and people and buildings. It feels as if we’ve landed
there, too, at first, taking it all in with the characters. (For a taste of the opening,
check out the web site, Lost-In-Translation.com) Then slowly we
figure out more about them, about what they left behind at home, and what their lives are
like in exile.
Murray is just a pleasure to watch. He’s been a long time
gone from Saturday Night Live and Ghostbusters. Bob endures many indignities, and
yes, he makes you laugh. What fun to see him size people up, to see his face seize up in
teeth-clenching frustration or soften in undisguised yearning. Initially, Johansson
seems more inscrutable, but gradually Charlotte opens up, too. Johansson’s
characterization radiates intelligence and thoughtfulness.
I was
completely drawn in. This is a movie that encourages active contemplation. If you find
silences and a lack of car crashes unsettling, you may want to skip this one. But if you
need a break and would welcome a few gentle laughs, try Lost in Translation. It
doesn’t disappoint.
