The first time I saw this film was a particularly lonely night in Madrid. A leg of my european tour in the winter of 2004 wherein I got there a day earlier than the people I was supposed to meet. What is one to do in such circumstances? Well, find an English speaking cinema (that serves beer, obviously) and settle in for the night. And there's not many better films to watch in a state of isolation, stuck in a foreign land, than Lost In Translation. From the opening shot of Scarlett Johansson's barely covered arse (really, is there a better way to start a film?) I was sold. Bill Murray expertly embodies a lonely old famous person as only he can, and the unlikely story of two complete strangers sharing a random moment in time among a distant, completely Alien world - Tokyo in this case - struck a chord with me that I've been unable to shake since.
It is hilarious. As are most things with the mighty Murray because his face alone is enough to make anyone laugh. It is also romantic, despite the potentially creepy age difference between the two stars, and extremely poignant. There isn't much dialogue, not really much action, it's just a perfect encapsulation of two people in a certain place, at a certain time.
Expertly directed by Sophia Copolla, beautifully shot and featuring a great cast all the way down to the Japanese prossie urging Bill to "lip" her tights. This film is a lesson in not spoon-feeding a story to your audience and just letting things be. Marvelous.
It also makes me really want to go traveling again....sigh.
JB
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