Lost
in translation is an American
film which came out in 2003. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola,
the film is about a boy, Bob (Bill Murray), and a woman, Charlotte
(Scarlett Johansson). This is one of those films that belong to a
group of nondescript works that reject any tag. As many others, it
revolves around a man, a woman and the relationship established
between them. But it is not made in a common way. The film
does not explain with words every situation because silence is
sometimes more effective. Lost in translation is a simple film
but with emotive moments which make it deeper.
On
the one hand, Bob is a calm actor who is in Tokio to make some photo
shoots for a famous alcoholic drink, but maybe he is also there
because of his difficult situation with his wife. On the other hand,
Charlotte is a recently married girl, whose husband is working as a
photographer in the same city for a few days, where she finds herself
alone very soon. Both feel the loneliness in the same hotel where
they meet. They get along quickly, communicating themselves just by
understanding glances and some words which get them to feel better in
this strange city of Tokio. They go out together, having great times,
understanding each other and realising that they are sharing a silent
but deep and inevitable love. Charlotte's husband appears sometimes,
but she does not give him any special importance. Alike, Bob's wife
calls him, but she gives more priority to her carpet than to her
husband. All along they know that they are not going to be too much
more time together, but their relationship is so strong that they do
not care. They are just enjoying the moments: singing in a karaoke,
relaxing, having long conversations in the hotel room, drinking in
the bar... , in the process forgetting their real lives. Finally, Bob
comes back to his own country and, without the typical happy ending,
they part in the same quiet, coherent and emotional way as the whole
sense of the film.
The
best of this film is that there is a special chemistry between them
that make the viewer trust in that relationship. In my opinion, the
film is awesome, but I feel that something is missing. Maybe it is
because the story goes very slow and there are no high-tension
situations. At the same time, these two points are the main structure
of the film: silence and emotion are perfectly showed.
The
film can be summed up in two words: shared loneliness.