Lost in Translation (2003)

Lost in Translation
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Written by Sofia Coppola
2003/USA
Focus Features/Tohokashinsha Film Company Ltd./ American Zoetrope/Elemental Films
Repeat viewing/Netflix Instant streaming
#1060 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (2013 combined list)
IMDb users say 7.8/10; I say 8.5/10

[box] Lydia Harris: Do I need to worry about you, Bob?

Bob: Only if you want to.[/box]

This film perfectly captures the feeling of being a stranger in a strange land both literally and figuratively.

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an aging movie star who is in Tokyo raking in big bucks for making a whisky commercial.  Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is a young college grad at loose ends in the city while her photographer husband is working.  Their paths cross several times because neither can sleep due to jet lag and possibly other factors. Gradually, they find that despite their superficial differences they are kindred spirits and they set out to navigate the unfamiliar waters of Japan together.

I love the way this movie captures the joy of discovering someone who sees the world as you do – that awesome proof that possibly you are not insane.  Bob and Charlotte really have nothing in common other than their nationality and their insomnia but they are both “lost” and that is enough.  Though the story is minimalist, it can also be hilarious.  The scene with the Premium Fantasy Woman alone is worth the price of admission.

I wonder what Bob was whispering to Charlotte at the end.  I hope he was saying thank you.

Lost in Translation won an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay.  It was nominated in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

Trailer