Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a washed up film star. Forced to take a job filming a commercial for whiskey in Japan, Bob is alone in a strange country where nothing is going well for him. He is mad at the fact that his career has come to commercials just for money.
Bob is hopelessly mired in a 25-year marriage, which may or may not be going well. In fact, we're never told. All we know is that the kids miss him and his wife wants him home. It’s urgent. She needs new fabric for the upholstery.
Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), is a recent bride who is stuck in Japan with her husband while he photographs a rock band. She hates the fact that she rushed off to Tokyo with her beau. She doesn't “know who she married," she says.
Bob and Charlotte, 10,000 miles from home, wind up in the hotel bar late at night. They exchange glances, and decide to converse. It’s kind of like Casablanca. But where as in Casablanca Rick and Ilsa had known each other before, Bob and Charlotte never had a prior relationship.
Over the course of several sleepless nights, Bob and Charlotte spend time together. They become friends, discussing their lives, loves, and losses.
They have fun singing karaoke, dancing, hanging with friends, and watching TV. For a whole week, the two grow very close, even romantic. The film doesn’t give in and allow them to sleep together. No, it’s better than that.
But then, all good things must come to an end. Bob is going home and Charlotte doesn't want to leave him. But that's the way it has to be. Bob rides off in a taxicab, having said something to Charlotte. We don't hear it, and we don't know what it is. We're never meant to hear it. It's a private comment that they deserve to keep private. After all, they've earned it.
Bob loves Charlotte, and she loves him. The sad fact is that they can't be together - they never get to be. No matter how much you want to see them together, it never happens. If the guy got the girl, we’d have the same old film. But he doesn’t. This plot device made Casablanca great. It made Lost in Translation great, too. You can’t miss with good material.
This is by far Bill Murray’s best film. Bill Murray took a turn in his acting career and has been rewarded for it. He gives the performance of his career that Bill Murray fans won't be disappointed by.
If you've seen anything of Bill Murray's work, (What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Stripes, Caddy shack, Ghostbusters) then you know that Bill Murray is a comic actor with a penchant for very slapstick roles. However, he takes a great turn here in Lost in translation. His comedic outputs are not sidesplitting funny, but funny enough to gain laughs. The good kind of funny that the academy notices.
There is a subtlety to the role that only he could bring, and probably wouldn't have worked as well with another actor. The role is quite similar to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, the way he took a less funny turn.
Scarlett Johansson was terrific as the young girl, Bill Murray's on-screen partner. Only 18 at the time of filming, she looked very grown-up, but young enough to pass for the part.
Sofia Coppola's directions styles are superb, with vivid movements, angles, and visual shots. She picks some of the most flashy parts of Tokyo and uses over and over; a plethora of Tokyo visuals which really helps to establish the Tokyo location. Sofia Coppola absolutely deserved her direction Oscar nomination.
Plot: 
A simple plot much like Casablanca. A well-visited topic with bits of dry wit sprinkled in. Bill Murray’s best role to date.
Visual Effects:
There are few special effects shots but many specialty shots involving the Tokyo landscape and skyline. Exceptional work by director Sofia Coppola.
Sound:
The score to Lost in Translation isn't your typical film score. If very different with bubbly, and then sometimes moody pieces which all fit the scene they are in. Wonderful soundtrack.
Character Development:
Both characters are lost in sea of characters, and manage to find comfort in each other, if only for a short time. Both Bob and Charlotte learn something from their experiences, and end up wanting more, but they can't reach that cookie jar on top of the refrigerator.
Atmosphere:
Realism:
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
*Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Mystic River; Seabiscuit;
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
10/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
07-02-04
Updated 10-02-07
