Lost in Translation Reviews

I had been well aware of this film's reputation as a masterpiece for some time, and when I finally saw it I was so glad I did. I have seen it three times now, it improves each time. Lost in Translation is a brilliant film, but also a film you need to see more than once to appreciate it.

Lost in Translation for example is a brilliantly written film. The script is wonderful, with a healthy balance of energetic humour and bittersweet soul-searching. The story, driven by its characters, is slowly-paced but purposefully so, any faster it would have detracted from any magic and poignancy and also would have made the title irrelevant. And I love the ambiguous but very meaningful ending. Lost in Translation manages to be both sad and funny, but it is also in its tone a magical and irresistibly moving film.

I can't say I am a fan of Sophia Coppola. I can say though Lost in Translation is her best written and best directed film, and probably the only one I would consider a masterpiece. And speaking of Coppola, she makes some risky but wise decisions such as the balance of the humour and the bittersweet poignancy and altogether it is a rock-solid directing job.

Lost in Translation looks absolutely beautiful too, with its skillful lighting, beguiling location work and stunning cinematography. The Japan-pop soundtrack creates a big emotional impact, and just adds to the authenticity Lost in Translation has.

The acting is marvellous. Bill Murray gives a delicate, restrained and masterful performance in the lead role, and from his performance here you would never guess he is the same Bill Murray who starred in broader films like GhostBusters. Scarlett Johanssen also gives one of her best performances as the younger woman trapped in a loveless marriage, not to mention she looks lovely here and shares a believable chemistry with Murray.

In conclusion, a masterpiece. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Perderse nunca se ha sentido tan bien. Esta película lo demuestra, gracias a su fotografía, banda sonora y caracteres tridimensionales (destacando a Bill Murray).

"Io non so cosa voglio diventare, capisci?"
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I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I was quite eager to check it out again, especially since it has such a stellar reputation. Indeed, this movie is considered as Sofia Coppola's masterpiece and, with this mind, the first time around, I had some high expectations but, to be honest, it didn't really blow me away then. Well, even after rewatching the damned thing, I still ended up with some mixed feelings. Eventually, even though I was able to see that it was indeed something quite special, I had a rather hard time to connect with the whole thing. I don’t think it was because it was too slow or too boring or that not enough was happening, I think it was more because I didn’t care much about the characters and what they were going through. I don’t think Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson should be blamed though as they both gave some very good performances and the directing was really solid as well. Eventually, I think that this movie gives a rather depressing view on travelling and I think it provides a good explanation on why I don't miss travelling that much. Indeed, I always dreamed about going to Japan, especially Tokyo, but after watching this movie, you can come to the conclusion that there is nothing really special about this city since huge cities like this one all look alike. Anyway, to conclude, even though it didn’t really love this flick, it wasn't bad at all, far from it, and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

I thought this film was very average. I even found it boring in parts. And I truly think the only people who like this film are people who think Bill Murray is funny and Scarlett Johansson attractive, therefore that's only why they like this film.

Wow. I watched this again nine years after a first viewing. This is such a wonderful character exploration, location specific story telling, and a love story, and wonderfully shot to boot.

Bob Harris (Bill Murphy) is an American actor who comes to Japan to appear in a Japanese Whiskey Commercial. During his free hours, I mean lots of free hours, he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) whose husband is a professional photographer and always seems to be busy at his work. The duo develop a unique friendship which suddenly begins to sparkle into something else given the condition of their current relationship status' with their spouses.

After her debut in The Virgin Suicides, Sofia gained recognition for Lost in Translation. I have to say that the film tried to show us something different. Where the film fails at that, it succeeds in it's impressive style of story telling. The film firsts sounds like it's an art movie on living your life and "discovering" yourself. It's great though that Sofia doesn't give us any of that nonsense which most films do nowadays. Moreover, the film shows us how it would have been had it taken place in reality. It also in one way ridicules the Japanese culture, another point that I didn't like. But then Bill and Scarlett's performance brings this slow and boring film to life and makes it more energetic. The best part is how the boredom and friendship parts were handled, those are the highest points in the film.

Sofia shows her potential for creating great films and I would look forward to more of her films in the future and also the ones she directed after this one. This film is not recommended for everyone though, except for those who want to spend a fine summer afternoon silently while enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Tokyo...

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Lost In Translation is a beautiful masterpiece that I just was gripped with from start to finish. It is a masterpiece that will always have a place in my heart because of its deeply inspiring story and beautiful filmmaking. Lost In Translation is a beautiful story of friendship and it is definitely one of the best films based on that. I loved every single thing about this film. It is just so good to watch that its filmmaking standard is just too amazing to not love. I loved how this film was filmed in a more technical way. Lost In Translation is a masterpiece of romantic comedies and is probably one of the best. Whoever wouldn't like to watch Lost In Translation or don't want to watch it then that person or those people are missing out on a lot in a masterpiece like this. It is funny, beautiful, emotional and an absolutely wonder. It is a film that some people might find quite unusual. I can't explain why because it is very hard to explain that. I don't think that anybody I have known have said that this film is bad, boring, slow, pathetic or anything like that ever and I would have to ask them numerous questions why they didn't like this masterpiece. This film ends like the viewers request answers in which I'm not going to say because it will obviously spoil it.


The performances from both actors in this film are absolutely amazing. Bill Murray's performance was bloody amazing and it certainly gave him a very much deserved Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win. His character is a character you would deeply feel sorry for and would stay alongside until the very end. Murray hasn't really been an actor who delivers top notch performances that are worthy of Oscars and Golden Globes but he hits his massive glory jackpot in Lost In Translation and for damn good reason. His acting was just so good it literally blew me away in every scene he was involved in the film. It is an absolutely amazing memorable performance that I will always remember as one of the best. Bill Murray shows he is the only actor to portray Bob Harris. Bob is an aging movie star who has arrived in Tokyo to film a Suntory Whiskey advertisement. His marriage with his wife of 25 years is breaking down and they are falling out of love. Scarlett Johansson's performance as Charlotte wasn't only her best performance but it was her breakthrough performance and it is that simple. Her performance should have earned her first and only Oscar nomination. I was blown away by how beautiful and stunning she really was in this film. I don't believe that it is the greatest leading female performance but I have to say that it isn't far from achieving itself as one of my favourite performances from a leading actress. I personally believe that Scarlett became rather gifted with this film and she was only 19 years old when she was in this film. Her performance made me get deeply interested in her character. Charlotte is a young woman who is the young wife of a celebrity photographer on an assignment in Tokyo. Because of his work, he ends up leaving her behind in Tokyo. Being bored and lonely she meets Bob in a bar and they become close friends and make them seem unlikely lovers because of the age gap between them.


Lost In Translation has proved Sofia Coppola to be a brilliant director. She is an awesome director but a very shit actress especially in The Godfather: Part III and Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. She has followed her directing talent straight after her father Francis Ford Coppola. I don't really see many women direct a film ever and I have to say that Coppola's directing of Lost In Translation is the best a woman has ever done. After her dreadful performance in The Godfather: Part III and The Phantom Menace, Sofia Coppola proves herself to be a director not to be reckoned with. Her script earned her first Oscar win and rightly so. She should carry on directing instead of acting because she is awful at that and she has already proved that twice already in a bad way. I don't think this film would have been good at all if Sofia Coppola wasn't directing it with Bill Murray nor Scarlett Johansson starring in it.


This is a film that I think made Sofia Coppola want to concentrate on directing films instead of acting in films. This is Bill Murray's best performance so far without a single doubt in my mind and probably always will be. It is Scarlett Johansson's best performance so far as well. It is her ultimate breakthrough performance and nobody can ever take that away from her. She is one of my all-time favourite actresses and this is the film that brought deep interest in Scarlett Johansson to me. Lost In Translation is one of the best films based on friendship and love, it is one of the best films of 2003, one of the best romantic comedies, one of the most heartwarming films of all time in my personal opinions. It is a film that I find an ultimate pleasure to watch. It is definitely one of the most creative films of all time as well because of its absolutely amazing modern filmmaking. A beautiful, exciting, romantic, funny and emotional film that I have loved every single I've watched it.

''I just don't know what I'm supposed to be.''

''You'll figure that out. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you. ''

A movie star with a sense of emptiness, and a neglected newlywed meet up as strangers in Tokyo, Japan and form an unlikely bond.

Scarlett Johansson: Charlotte

Bill Murray: Bob Harris

Lost In Translation examines and explores the intricate web of love, life and loneliness, the restricted nature, the incessant insomnia and the weird out of place feeling of being in an alien place, where you feel like you are the only one of you're kind. The loneliness that evolves from being in essence solitary. The enigmatic possibility of a dream that meeting someone will awaken lost emotions and unlock memories. This is what life is about and Lost In Translation shows us like a flower blooming, coating us with it's sensual pollen and messages.



The characters here are believable. Their dialogue is deep. The setting is dreamy and breath taking. It's all tirelessly fascinating because we can all relate to the spaces on offer and it involves us in ways that most films don't.
We the audience find ourselves drawn to every moment these two kindred spirits experience, together and apart. We are mesmerized, hypnotized even, by the glances, nuances and words they share.

Sofia Coppola successfully juggles Bob and Charlotte in their separate lives at first, but when they do meet, it's something out of this world. They begin to adventure out into the chaos and endless possibilty of Tokyo, and Lost In Translation almost takes on a perspective altogether altered from it's previous state. We saw Bob Harris and Charlotte at their most private and vulnerable, their inward lonely selfs. While out on the town, the film seems to sit back and just let them have fun. Thank God, for Bill Murray's rousing rendition of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a riot. During this period, it seems that Bob and Charlotte have forgotten their insomnia and loneliness, but as they say nothing lasts forever. Even during their night on the town, we see moments where they sit silently, motionless and still some what confused. Lost In Translation is a comedy in some sense, but it escalates into a pervading tragic feel of seperation. At one point, Charlotte says to Bob: "Let's never come back here again, because it will never be as much fun."

The movie takes a while to truly glean out the deep-seated motivations of both of its characters, but they become fully-realized in a marvelous scene where Bob and Charlotte lay fully-clothed in bed together. Here, they handle the bigger questions in life's game, and not "Where did you go to uni?" or "What did you want to be when you were small?" but "What is my purpose?" and "Does marraige get easier?". I was intrigued at the sheer honesty of the character's answers. Bob relates to Charlotte the experience of having children and the ongoing struggles of being married, but a tinge of fear and apprehension runs through his speech. Charlotte hasn't really figured things out for herself at present, she says she's tried just about everything but hasn't found that doorway to venture through.

Coppola's screenplay takes these two separate beings, far apart in age and experiences, and makes a profound statement, both are in the same exact emotional limbo, and unending cycle. Charlotte is confused and worried, but Bob is regretful and washed-up. In a way, these two as said earlier are kindred spirits, two flames destined to meet. That is the heart and pumping blood of Sofia Coppola's vision.

I couldn't finish my review without saying or putting something about another star behind the scenes of Lost In Translation, that is nearly as effective to the film as Director/Screenwriter Sophia Coppola. That is cinematographer Lance Acord. He has worked on Coppola's husband's (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze) films before, but this is his finest, most beautiful work yet. He captures Japan, and the film's characters, with such a soft albeit colourfully sensual and abstract flare that it's nearly inexplicable to describe. I often wondered why, beyond the fact that they have so much to think about, Bob and Charlotte, are seen staring out windows so much. If they see Tokyo with the same resolute clarity that Lost In Translation perceives, they have no better reason to.

It has great comedic flair with Murray's wonderful work, but it's also perhaps one of the saddest and most moving films I've seen Murray ever do also.
It's a form of a romance but it's not in the form of when they'll kiss or when they'll make love (one kiss on the cheek becomes unbearably mind blowing in ways that transcend to love proportions). It also has that Affair to Remember vibe too, where the journey of two souls that find comfort will eventually have to come to an end. Its finish though, defies categorization, as does the rest of Lost In Translation. Many times during the film's quaint, quietly moving finale, I expected lush music to start playing to underscore the escalating sadness of the film. Fortunately it doesn't do this to us. Coppola simply lets her two amazing leads do all the necessary work. When the film does arrive at its final, ambiguous moment, it all just seems perfect.
The catchy Japan pop soundtrack that runs brilliantly throughout the film begins to play, and I find myself with a huge regret, that being that I won't be able to savour the subtle chemistry of Bob and Charlotte anymore, but content with the taste of a masterpiece still residing in my mind.

Some things do get Lost In Translation, but sometimes words aren't the only thing that require translating, sometimes your heart can be the hardest translation of all and finding yourself can be even harder.