Lost in Translation (2003) is a superb, sensitive and beautiful depiction of feeling disconnect in modern life
Everything about this film is so real and hopeful to me, I decided to revisit it after I watched The Life Aquatic and got reminded how good of an actor Bill Murray is, particularly in his post 80s phase where he started portraying more complex characters (Herman Blume, Steve Zissou) and he shines just as much here.
Everyone is so obsessed with Bob’s fame they struggle to seek beneath his surface and as a result he struggles to connect with anybody, to the point where he has become somewhat passive in his life and perhaps even accepts his loneliness, shown perfectly in that iconic shot used for the poster, him sitting on his own on the bed just watching his life go by and take its natural course as he has become isolated by his fame. Charlotte is similar, though she is younger she feels lost, she doesn’t know which direction she needs to go in. Bob is left directionless by his past, whereas Charlotte is left directionless by her future. Though she is married (To a really young looking Giovanni Ribisi) she doesn’t feel connected to him and perhaps even compares herself to him, given he has a solid career and she is still lacking direction. The two of them are also framed from a distance most of the time, even when they are hugging/kissing, which I thought was a good touch. Sofia Coppola positions her actors thoughtfully throughout this film.
When Bob and Charlotte finally meet they break free of the fairly isolated lives they’ve been living (maybe symbolised by the hotel bar both of them spend their nights in before meeting) by escaping into the streets and finding happiness and joy in breaking out of the routine and mundanity, and they spend their night with people who don’t care about Bobs fame or Charlottes lack of direction and have the time of their lives by letting go of their worries (the karaoke scene - Bill Murray is a surprisingly great singer)
When it is time to go, it’s painful. The time both of them have spent with each other after finding freedom in the other person was beautiful and neither of them want it to end, shown fantastically near the end by Bob stopping the car on his way to the airport to say a final goodbye to her, as they embrace for one last time and he whispers something indistinguishable into her ear. Although we never hear it, we don’t need to. The one thing he left unsaid was so important to him though he could never get the words out, and at the last minute he was finally able to tell her and communicate to her. Which is what this movie is about, communication and finding connection in the people you meet in life.
This film speaks to all of us I think. We all have moments where we struggle in connecting to people and we become passive, letting our lives go by until we meet the people who become special and offer hope. What an excellent film
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