'There is a pronounced bitchiness about the film that sits oddly with the gentle subject matter.'
Lost in Translation (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:214
Fresh:203
Rotten:11
Average Rating:8.4/10
Consensus: Murray gives one of his best performances in this expertly crafted mood piece.
Theatrical Release:09-01-2004
Synopsis: Sofia Coppola's second feature-length film focuses on two guests at a Tokyo hotel--Bob (Bill Murray), a middle-aged actor in town to film whiskey commercials, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson),... Sofia Coppola's second feature-length film focuses on two guests at a Tokyo hotel--Bob (Bill Murray), a middle-aged actor in town to film whiskey commercials, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the young wife of a trendy photographer (Giovanni Ribisi) who is always out on a shoot. When Bob isn't on the job taking fragmented direction from the Japanese crew, he's receiving faxes on home decorating from his emotionally distant wife. And while her husband is away, Charlotte spends most of her time trying to motivate herself to do more than look out the window at Tokyo's urban sprawl. So when the two meet in the hotel bar, they strike up an unusual friendship, one that provides a welcome escape from their boredom and loneliness. With LOST IN TRANSLATION, Coppola cements her reputation as a thoughtful and inventive filmmaker. Every element of the movie is pitch-perfect, from the dreamy, atmospheric score to the expertly timed editing to the lingering shots of the characters and the city. Most importantly, Coppola's minimalist script allows Murray and Johansson to give astonishingly moving yet subtle performances as people who are lost in the limbo of a foreign country, but find each other for comfort and companionship. Both heartbreakingly sad and hilariously funny, Coppola's LOST IN TRANSLATION is that rare movie in which everything is in its right place. [More]
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Fumihiro Hayashi, Yutaka Tadokoro
Director: Sofia Coppola
Director: Sofia Coppola
Screenwriter: Sofia Coppola
Producer: Sofia Coppola, Ross Katz
Studio: Focus Features
Reviews for Lost in Translation
So far as the central relationship goes, the film is almost European in its subtlety and nuance. Cinematic cherry blossom.
The movie should have been a masterpiece of mood and character, and it almost is, revolving as it does around two wonderful performances.
Transcends its initial culture clash comic riffs to evolve into something altogether more moving by the end. As a result, it's a work of considerable power and pathos.
A thoughtful, moving film that's a pure delight from beginning to end.
Bill Murray is one of the greatest, least ingratiating comic actors at work today: appropriately enough he once played a modern version of Scrooge.
There's an almost ethereal rawness to this film that gets way under the skin.
There's not a word or a wistful glance out of place in Sofia Coppola's offbeat comedy drama.
This tedious vanity piece is enlivened only by the charm of its leading man, Bill Murray
The old adage says that poetry is what's lost in translation, but the poetry is all that survives in Sofia Coppola's wispy art film.
Because it lacks focus, as well as confidence in its story and stars, 'Lost in Translation' squanders a good opportunity.
When work this potentially satisfying remains flatly obvious, it's almost worse than being flat-out bad.
Attractive and pleasant as it is, there's no escaping the impression that it feels like an overly hip exercise in soul-searching for those who thought American Beauty really did “look closer” at life.
Coppola lacks a firm grip on this material, and it starts to get away from her midway through.
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