Review Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003

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"Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. We have to first get out of this bar, then the city, and then the country." - Bob Harris CASS' CLIP (WARNING: **spoilers below**) Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a 50-something, husband, father, and American movie star. His celebrity status is fading, and his 25-year marriage is either on autopilot or unraveling. But like most wash-up movie stars, Bob would rather work, which means he'll settle for whatever work comes his way. Bob's new starring role will take him to Japan where he will shoot a series of commercials endorsing Suntory Whiskey. His $2.0 million paycheck will be just enough money for his wife to spend renovating their home. Jet-lagged and depressed, Bob arrives amid Tokyo's neon lights and high-rise advertisements. He has a luxurious room at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, with a panoramic view of the city. But first, if Bob can get a little shuteye, then maybe he'll do a little sightseeing later. KNOCK, KNOCK. [My translation - "Hey. I'm your friendly Japanese escort. The corporate reps asked that I officially welcome you to Tokyo." [Unlike Charlie Sheen, not every American movie star going overseas needs his tension eased -- if you get my drift]. During the commercial shoot, the Japanese director (Yutaka Tadokoro), tries to convey to Bob how he wants him to portray his Suntory persona by asking him to impersonate members of the Rat Pack. [This scene is hilarious]. FAX MACHINE BEEPING - [My translation -- From: Your Wife; To: Bob; Subject: Color swatches; Message -- "Urgent!!! I can't decide between red, burgundy, maroon, or wine (a/k/a whine). Which color best describes our marriage?"] Their telephone conversations are basically about redecorating, or his wife's snide comments like, "The kids are getting used to him being away," or "Do I need to worry about you, Bob?" "Only if you want to," Bob replies. Between constant interruptions and late night faxes from his wife, the last thing Bob needs is insomnia. [Hey, "Where's the hotel bar?]. Also in Tokyo is a young married couple, John (Giovanni Ribisi) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). John is a photographer and Charlotte just recently received her philosophy degree. Their two-year marriage is a bit strained because John is a workaholic. Charlotte desperately wants to believe that if she tags along with John on his assignment in Japan, things may be different between them. In between waiting for her emotionally and physically unavailable husband to return from photo shoots, Charlotte spends an inordinate amount of her sleepless nights looking at television programs she can't understand, or sitting on the windowsill of her hotel room looking down at the city. [Honey chile, if you can't find comfort in your husband's arms, there's always something happening in the hotel bar]. When the paths of these two sleepless out-of-towners cross in the hotel bar, will Bob, a middle-aged man, and Charlotte, a young disillusioned woman, form a platonic father-daughter relationship instead of an unlikely friendship turned romantic? Will their spouses hire Cheaters to catch them in the act of not sleeping together, but rather sightseeing? Will Bob and Charlotte ignore the similarities of their marital problems and give into their loneliness for a weekend fling? Will Bob's Suntory Whiskey ad campaign be successful, or will the camera pick up his innate sense of cynicism about his life, his marriage and his career? DA 411 Lost In Translation is loosely based on writer-director Sofia Coppola's many trips to Japan. [If the name Coppola sounds familiar, yes, Sofia is the daughter of legendary filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola. Besides the obvious, Ms. Coppola also directed, The Virgin Suicides]. On some level I can understand why some people may not like Lost In Translation. It's slow, some of the Japanese characters are stereotypical, the main characters are not fully developed, and there are no subtitles. These flaws, however, can be explained. Lost In Translation is intentionally slow because it allows the audience to capture each characters varied sense of loneliness. The fact that there are no subtitles simply lets the movie-goer appreciate the characters' confusion with the language barrier. On the surface, Lost In Translation can be construed as a simple comic and romantic melodrama. But if you peel back its layers, the title of the movie can be translated into several different meanings. Bob and Charlotte are both going through some type of life crisis, when their paths cross. They're both somehow alienated from their spouses in just the opposite way. For example, John is a workaholic and is too busy to recognize that Charlotte needs to connect with him on an emotional level. Just like John, Bob's career has forced him to be away from home so much Bob doesn't recognize that he has neglected his wife the same way John abandons Charlotte. So what creates the connection between Bob and Charlotte that most likely wouldn't be there if both of them really sat back and examined their newfound relationship? What's lost in translation is that Bob and Charlotte aren't being honest with their spouses or themselves about what's happening in their own lives. Therefore, what they're communicating to their spouses is being misinterpreted as the acceptance of love in very unhealthy relationships. Bill Murray gives a heartbreaking performance as Bob Harris. First, he looks wonderful. Second, his subdued trademark grin, combined with his deadpan delivery of his ad-libs endeared me to his character. Nothing about his performance is embellished. It simply underscores the fact that Billy Murray is a superb veteran actor, who just happens to be a comedic genius. Scarlett Johansson's character, Charlotte, plays well off of Murray's character. Murray and Johansson are vividly believable because you sense their characters' melancholy moods and the possible sexual tension. The dialogue is so natural, I almost felt like I was eavesdropping on their private conversations. Giovanni Ribisi and Anna Faris have bit parts, but Faris's character, Kelly, is annoyingly funny. Kevin Shields' musical score accentuates the visual palette of Lance Acord's absolutely breathtaking cinematography. But what makes Lost In Translation even more poignant is that Coppola didn't settle for a Hollywood ending. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Lost In Translation!!! CASS' CONCLUSION If movie-goers look pass the obvious and delve deeper into what the characters are really saying, you won't need a translator to interpret the intended messages behind Lost In Translation. LOST IN TRANSLATION:   back to top Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003 EMAIL: cass@3blackchicks.com