Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation
“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less
you let things upset you.”
-Bob Harris
Every decade or so there is a great love story, in the
2000’s that love story is Lost in Translation. Strangely enough the best love
story of the 2000’s is not even a typical love story; instead Sofia Coppola’s
masterpiece is about friendship and the comfort of another. Part of the reason
why Lost in Translation is so brilliant is because it goes places that the
average love story never goes.
The first thing in Lost in Translation that sets it apart is
the complexity of the two central characters Bob and Charlotte, as well as the
complexity of the marriages they each find themselves in. Bob is a tired man,
both in within his job and marriage. One can see that Bob loves his wife more
than anything but is in a mid life crisis phase that is only emphasized in his
trip to Japan to do some strange commercials (which Coppola gets good laughs
and emotions out of). In Japan Charlotte is abandoned by her husband for his
work and she is left alone to fend for herself in this world that she’s still
growing into. The two share one thing in common both are lost.
Coppola get’s amazing, unexpected chemistry from Bill Murray
and Scarlett Johansson. Every frame that they are together is something
special. This is easily Bill Murray’s best performance of all time and it’s not
even a comedic one. He plays lonely and lost so well in this film it’s hard to
believe that other directors haven’t milked this for all it’s worth. There are
times when Murray get’s to be funny but those times are subtle and restraint in
a way that Murray really hadn’t been before or has been since. The performance
is utterly engrossing and makes every frame of the film compulsively watchable.
Johansson’s performance is not to be denied recognition though as she is
equally great and restrained especially in the scenes where she is paired with
Murray.
The relationship between Bob and Charlotte builds
consistently throughout the evening, but remains restrained to friendship. Both
parties are faithful people, even in their seemingly toxic relationships, and
don’t really search for love. The only thing they need is someone who makes
them feel like they have someone. One can say that this is a personal film for
Coppola as through every line there is a feeling like Coppola has been put in
similar situations. The power of the relationship is the bond that is formed by
both parties but not in the way one usually expects.
The final shot of the film is one of devastating yet
satisfying parting. It’s special when both characters realize with the parting
shot that they are never going to see each other ever again and perhaps
wouldn’t be able to coexist under any other circumstances. It’s heartbreaking
to see them part, but in a way it’s inevitable. Both are completely different
people who live completely different lives that were ultimately brought
together for only specific circumstances. All the feelings of loss and
realization are conveyed with a few long embraces and what Murray, Johansson,
and Coppola achieve in the final moments of Lost in Translation is truly
magical.
-Frederick Cholowski
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