Since Reel Talk Inc’s and Reel Chronicle’s inception 3 years ago, I’ve been quite adamant about my love of Bill Murray. Aside from starring in one of my favorite films of all time, Ghostbusters, Murray has consistently entertained me with his work throughout the years in both his comedies and serious roles. However, despite my deep dive into Murray’s filmography, there was one film I had missed on my Murray watchlist for 17 years. That film is Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. A film that captures both Murray’s range as an actor but Coppola’s brilliance as both a director and storyteller.
Lost in Translation follows Bob Harris, an aging movie star from yesteryear that arrives in Tokyo to film an advertisement for Suntory whiskey. Charlotte is a young college graduate, who travels with her husband John, a celebrity photographer on assignment in Tokyo. They both meet. While simplistic in its plot, the film explores themes of fidelity, commercialism, loneliness and the creation of memories. Coppola is able to blend these themes with comedic moments while still being able to tug at the heartstrings of cinephiles.
The emotional connection to Bob and Charlotte stems from Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson’s incredible performances. Johansson, who was 18 when the film was released, shows how bright her future is in this film as she brings out the innocence, loneliness, and doubt in her marriage as Charlotte. Throughout the early stages of the film, Charlotte’s innocence keeps her in what undoubtedly is a disingenuousness and dysfunctional marriage, while evenings alone in her hotel room, she invokes Charlotte’s doubts about her marriage and life’s purpose on screen.
Bill Murray has never been better in evoking such an abundance of loneliness out of his performance while still sprinkling his “Murray-isms” to the film. Murray is at his comedic finest during the photoshoots, TV spots, and hospital waiting room to name a few. These moments aid in creating a connection with Bob and understanding why his eventual connection with Charlotte is so important. Even 17 years later, it’s hard to imagine anything in Mystic River that should have lead to Sean Penn winning the Academy Award over this masterclass in acting. While Murray went on to win the Golden Globe and BAFTA for the role, it’s a shame Oscar passed him by.
Our two leads have remarkable chemistry. Murray and ScarJo portray their growing friendship and growing emotional connection with each other with a delicate beauty, with simplistic nights on the town and evening conversations in a hotel room as two insomniacs. By the film’s conclusion, you are both heartbroken and happy because of their newfound connection.
The film’s two unsung heroes are Sofia Coppola and the score/soundtrack of the film. Coppola’s script and direction in her sophomore effort showed that she was one of the best female filmmaker of the time and was rewarded with an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In regards to the score/soundtrack of the film, while subtle and quiet, it effectively aids in the developing relationship between Bob and Charlotte.
Lost in Translation respectfully tackles the subject of companionship and relationships while still providing laughs. It’s a film that I regretfully waited too long to view, but grateful to have found this gem. As Murray and Coppola prepare to enter the 2020 awards season with their upcoming collaboration, On The Rocks, cinephiles can only hope that lightning will strike twice as Lost in Translation holds a place as one of the best films of the century.
