Lost In Translation Review
By Colton Gomez | 04/17/24 | 1:51 P.M. Mountain Time
Romance, Comedy | Rated R | 1 hr 41 min | Film Release Date: October 03, 2003
“Lost In Translation,” written and directed by Sofia Coppola, is all about how our feelings can be miscommunicated which can lead to failing relationships. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an actor getting away from his family for the week to endorse a whisky in Japan. He films a commercial, goes to a photoshoot, and is the guest of a huge talk show. But he doesn’t care about the whisky or the $2 million he’s getting paid to do it all. He’s stuck in a rut, his marriage is stagnant, and he feels overwhelmed by his family. Whenever he talks to his wife on the phone, neither of them seems to be enjoying the conversation or really listening to each other. His young kids don’t want to talk to him because they feel he’s abandoned them. For a lot of the film, Bob’s face is weighed down by gravity and doesn’t really care about making a good impression on most people.
At his nightly visits to the hotel bar, he spots a young woman, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), who also seems a little lost in life. She’s been married for two years but already it seems as if her marriage won’t last. Her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) is a photographer, shooting photos of a Japanese band for a while. He runs into an old friend who is an actress promoting a movie and clearly has more spark with her than his actual wife. He pays close attention to her and when he hugs his wife, he’s really hugging the actress. While he’s working, Charlotte is left to wander Tokyo and listen to self-help books on tape in the bath. In her wanderings, she meets Bob at the bar, both unable to adjust to Tokyo time. They become friends and spend some time in the city together, each feeling like they’ve found a good partner.
The film delivers on its titular premise of miscommunication as there is obviously the language barrier but also barriers of culture and workplace culture. As Bob is filming his commercial, his director will expressively tell him exactly what he wants him to do. But he’s speaking in Japanese. The translator on set will tell Bob in the fewest possible words what the director is asking him to do. Take after take, Bob can’t seem to get it right and frustrates the director. Bob will ask the translator if there’s something more the director said but the translator will repeat the same phrase and few key words without delivering the specifics of the director’s vision. Not only is there no communication between the director and Bob but there is no communication between the director and the translator. Perhaps lacking the English words for the translation or the importance of the verbatim translation, the translator may think she’s delivering all that needs to be said but it is obviously lost in translation. Bob is left to guess what the director wants and after what seems like a very long day, drinks the whisky he’s promoting at the hotel bar.
Bob has trouble understanding just about anyone who isn’t Charlotte. When he’s having his photo taken for the whisky promotion, the photographer will say “Lat pack. You know lat pack?” It takes a moment for Bob to understand he means “Rat Pack.,” and later Roger Moore instead of “Loger Moore.” Even a movie cultural misstep when the photographer references James Bond when talking to Bob about the whisky, Bob responds, “Well, he’s more of a martini guy and this is whisky, but okay.” When speaking to Charlotte, he questions why the Japanese will switch the R for an L, as he’s making fun of the Japanese language and people in front of two Japanese chefs who may or may not understand what Bob is saying. Here, what’s lost in translation, is that Bob doesn’t understand how he can be offensive to the country that is hosting his stay, and why they might not be laughing, even if they get the joke. When he’s trapped in conversation with a French-speaker, he can only nod and say “Oui.” Many of these scenes are played for comedy and there are no serious repercussions for misunderstanding in these scenes, with people he’ll only talk to once. The more serious repercussions for misunderstanding and miscommunication are played out in themes of an abandoned marriage, losing friends, and becoming lost in life.
The writing and directing by Coppola never misses a step. She lets the air hang heavy with possible questions to ask and romantic tension. But it is often left silent and unacted upon, as she lets the actors breathe in the moment and communicates so much more that way. Johansson delivers a charming performance filled with nuances of hiding disappointment, sensing her husband’s drifting love for her, and feeling lonely in a big city. She and Murray have such palpable chemistry and with a different pairing, this film would not resonate nearly as well as it does. But Murray is the standout here. He gives a weighted presence to each scene, anchoring the emotion in his melancholic approach. He doesn’t call attention to himself as an actor by hogging the scene, but letting it be shared. He doesn’t overact, joke too much, or feel false. He really feels like a man feeling the weight of his life and career, too tired to fight back, until he’s reinvigorated by Johansson’s amazing character and performance.
We know Bob is miserable in Japan by his expressionless face and how he latches onto any opportunity to fire off a quick joke to lighten the mood. But his jokes don’t land, and his mood doesn’t improve. The only time we see him smile is when he’s spending time with Charlotte. Bob and Charlotte get talked at a lot by their spouses and whenever they take their turn to speak, they are either rejected or their spouse will change the subject. Their spouses always have to quickly disengage the conversation because they’re on their way out the door or some emergency at home demands their attention, making Bob and Charlotte the lowest priority. But whenever Bob and Charlotte speak to each other, they are comfortable and can speak freely knowing they are being listened to. They share so many quiet moments together, understanding that sometimes talking isn’t needed, as a quiet gaze into their eyes can say all that needs to be said. They are able to take time for each other and sometimes just being there is all the other person needs.
This film is very meditative and has a calm tempo. Many people feel that calling a film “slow” means it’s bad. This film is slow but that’s a good thing. We get to feel what the characters feel. We get to know their needs and how their spouses aren’t meeting them. Charlotte is left alone in her marriage and Bob’s wife is left alone in her marriage. These are two characters figuring out what they need and need to do. It seems promised that Charlotte will divorce her husband and find new friends who take the time to listen to her. It doesn’t seem promised, but likely, that Bob will try harder to be there for his wife and kids, hoping to recapture the joy that brought them together in the first place.
This film pretty much only focuses on story, there’s not a lot of plot to overcrowd it here. If you care about the characters, which seems very likely, you’ll take the emotional journey with them. That’s not to say that nothing happens. There are many fun scenes where Bob and Charlotte spend time together. They go to parties, sing karaoke, eat new foods, and just run around and have fun together. They love each other but not in a marriage kind of way. It’s as if these two are soulmates who aren’t destined to be together, but to point each other in the right direction in life. Even if they have trouble communicating with their spouses and friends, between the two of them, their love wasn’t lost in translation.
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