Lost in Translation

This article is about the movie. For the 1999 book of the same name by Nicole Mones, see Lost in Translation (book).

Lost in Translation (2003) is the second writing and directorial effort of Sofia Coppola (after The Virgin Suicides), and stars Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, and Anna Faris.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

The movie is about culture shock between East and West as well as the more general alienation of individuals in the modern world. Murray plays a US movie star, Bob Harris, who has come to Tokyo, Japan through Narita's New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport) to film a Suntory whisky commercial. In the downward slope of his career, with a wife who calls frequently not to actually talk to him but to get his opinion on floor samples for remodeling, Murray finds himself in a city and culture beyond his comprehension for reasons that he has trouble remembering. Johansson is Charlotte, a recent philosophy graduate of Yale University, the wife of a Rolling Stone-type photographer (Ribisi), on assignment in Tokyo. As a hanger-on and a "left-behind," she begins to wonder where she is and what she is doing, and who the man that she married really is. Her husband has more time for the young starlets (e.g., Faris) that he is there to shoot than for her, and so Bob and Charlotte, both lonely and lost, happen to meet each other in the lounge of the hotel they are staying at (the Park Hyatt Tokyo) and immediately strike up an unusual friendship. Drawn together by their mutual dissatisfaction and alienation, the two experience the stranger side of Tokyo nightlife, playfully exploring the foreign city, and finding comfort in relating to each other when nothing else in their lives seems to fit.

The film is a delicately nuanced look at the mechanics of verbal and emotional miscommunication, igniting a spark of common humanity and yearning at the intersection between a mid-life and a quarter-life crisis. Slyly appealing to Baby Boomers as much as Generation X'ers, Lost in Translation has rapidly earned itself a cult following for its almost uncanny ability to connect on a very personal level with viewers across the spectrum of age and culture.

Much has been made of the parallels between the characters in the film and those in the life of Sofia Coppola. Indeed, Ribisi's character is similar to Coppola's then husband Spike Jonze, and claims have been made that Faris's character is in fact based on Cameron Diaz, though Coppola has gone on record to say that this isn't the case.

Reaction

Boosted by critical acclaim and audience word of mouth, this modest feature film (with only a $4 million budget) became a comparative box office hit. Lost in Translation has been praised not only for Coppola's script and distinctive directing, but especially for Murray, who by most accounts gave the performance of his career. Johansson (only 19 at the time) also received notice for her strong performance.

Some have strongly criticised the movie for being what is perceived to be a stereotyped and unsympathetic portrayal of Japanese culture, though others have defended it against these allegations. One Peter Sattler, in a letter to movie critic David Edelstein of Slate, wrote that "the feelings of strangeness are entirely in the American characters. The camera records beauties--cultural and natural--that the 'lost' visitors are unable to register or understand.... In the movie, Japanese culture estranges you from American culture--makes American culture look strange and dubbed, as much as the other way around."

Awards

The film garnered five Golden Globes nominations, for best director, best motion picture (musical or comedy), best actor (musical or comedy) (Murray), best actress (musical or comedy) (Johansson), and best screenplay. It won the awards for best picture (musical or comedy), best screenplay, and best actor (musical or comedy).

At the BAFTA film awards, the film won the editing and both best actor (Murray) and best actress (Johansson) awards, as well as being nominated in five other categories (best film, director, original screenplay, and cinematography).

It won four IFP Independent Spirit Awards, for best feature, best director, best male lead (Murray), and best screenplay.

Lost in Translation also received nominations for four Academy Awards: for best director (the first time an American woman was nominated for this award), best picture, best actor (Murray), and best original screenplay. It won the award for best original screenplay.