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Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Fumihiro Hayashi ... see more see more... , Catherine Lambert , Akiko Takeshita , Akira Yamaguchi , Diamond Yukai , Gregory Pekar , Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe , Ryuichiro Baba , Tim Leffman , Kazuko Shibata , Hiroko Kawasaki , Nao Asuka

After making a striking directorial debut with her screen adaptation of The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola offers a story of love and friendship blooming under unlikely circumstances in this comedy dr... read more read more...ama. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a well-known American actor whose career has gone into a tailspin; needing work, he takes a very large fee to appear in a commercial for Japanese whiskey to be shot in Tokyo. Feeling no small degree of culture shock in Japan, Bob spends most of his non-working hours at his hotel, where he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) at the bar. Twentysomething Charlotte is married to John (Giovanni Ribisi), a successful photographer who is in Tokyo on an assignment, leaving her to while away her time while he works. Beyond their shared bemusement and confusion with the sights and sounds of contemporary Tokyo, Bob and Charlotte share a similar dissatisfaction with their lives; the spark has gone out of Bob's marriage, and he's become disillusioned with his career. Meanwhile, Charlotte is puzzled with how much John has changed in their two years of marriage, while she's been unable to launch a creative career of her own. Bob and Charlotte become fast friends, and as they explore Tokyo, they begin to wonder if their sudden friendship might be growing into something more. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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84% liked it

296,334 ratings

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95% liked it

219 critics

R, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Release Date: September 26, 2003

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DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (25,665)

  • spielberg00
    May 27, 2012
    spielberg00
    LOST IN TRANSLATION is a unique picture. There arenâ(TM)t many films nowadays, nor have there been at all, that have remained so substantially quiet. Everything about this film seems solemn and peaceful: everything from the music choice of light rock and rhythm and blues; to the ... read morerelaxed cinematography that doesnâ(TM)t rush to alter shots; to the stylistic fading of scenes; to the slow speed of this city-set film. When we see something subtly stunning like this come from writer-director Sofia Coppola, itâ(TM)s clear cinematic talent runs in the family. She is the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, legendary director of THE GODFATHER and APOCALYPSE NOW; the cousin of ADAPTATION and LEAVING LAS VEGAS star Nicolas Cage; the cousin of B-movie director Christopher Coppola. Her directing is impressive.

    Bill Murray is also an inimitably high peak in this film. His seriocomic role may be the only touch of lightheartedness the film has to offer, and itâ(TM)s rewarding. Itâ(TM)s possible the film gets its title from all those times Bill Murray interprets what the Japanese people are trying to say (in âEngrishâ?) differently than what they actually are saying. For instance, if one of the Japanese characters said âlong,â? he would interpret it âwrong,â? no pun intended. The fashion in which Murray dissolves himself into his character is phenomenal. Sure, he has had outstanding performances prior to this, such as GROUNDHOG DAY and GHOSTBUSTERS, but this has to be the best of his career.
  • fb100001048934982
    May 13, 2012
    fb100001048934982
    Sofia Coppola's 'Lost in Translation' is an aptly named film that portrays more of the talents that made Coppola the filmmaker she is today. It may be the film that represents her techniques the best. Again coaxing great performances, especially from the impressive Murray, the fi... read morelm was still unable to completely capture me as the viewer. It is not easy to resonate completely with the film, but its still a solid piece of filmmaking. The cinematography and acting prove to be its high points, but i was not completely satisfied with its script. Worth a shot for anyone, though.
  • fb791220692
    February 9, 2012
    fb791220692
    After the first thirty minutes, the movie becomes much slower and a lot more somber. Despite the crawl, Lost In Translation is still a fantastic comedy/drama due to the believable performances (especially from Murray, who still has comedic timing and delivery down to a science), ... read morea consistent and captivating mood, and Coppola's ability to maximize the spectacle, feeling, and visual diversity of the Tokyo setting.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    November 5, 2011
    cancercapricorn2002
    It is not easy to talk about "Lost in Translation". Sofia Coppola's second film as a director is in part about things we never talk about. While its two protagonists try to find mutual solace in each other, their silence is as expressive as their words. This is a film that believ... read morees that an individual can have a valuable relationship with someone else without becoming part of that person's life. Now I am not married but I can understand pretty well that it is easier for a stranger with whom you share a moment in the bar or corridor to understand your problems better than your husband or wife. Here is an extract from Roger Ebert's great review of the film: "We all need to talk about metaphysics, but those who know us well want details and specifics; strangers allow us to operate more vaguely on a cosmic scale. When the talk occurs between two people who could plausibly have sex together, it gathers a special charge: you can only say "I feel like I've known you for years" to someone you have not known for years."

    In this marvelous story, the two lonely individuals that merge the illusions of what they have and what they could have are two Americans. The emotional refuge, Tokyo. We have Bob Harris (Bill Murray), and actor in his fifties who was once a star, and is now supplementing his incomes with the recording of a whisky commercial. On the other side of the telephone, a frightening reality: his wife, his sons, and the mission of choosing the right material for heaven knows what part of the house. When we consider Bob's situation, we realise that Lost in Translation is also a meditation on the misery of fame. Certainly fame has great (perhaps greater than disadvantages) advantages but then there are the obligations, the expectations...

    We also have Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a woman in her twenties who is accompanying her husband, a photographer addicted to work, on a business trip. But it could said it is as if she is alone anyway. Her world, just like Bob's, is reduced to strange days in the bedroom, the corridors, the hotel's swimming pool, and the bar, the perfect destination for victims of sleeplessness and wounded soul. The bar is the place Bob and Charlotte meet for the first time. They talk, little, but just enough. Once their dislike for parts of their lives are established, they begin sharing times that feel dead to be able to feel alive.

    Bob and Charlotte are souls in transition for whom, surrounded and confused by exotic rituals, and a different language, allows them a moment to lose their identities. Both characters provoke similar feelings form different experiences. There are no kisses or crazy nights between them, but only a shared intimacy in which a night out, a walk in the streets, a session of karaoke becomes a powerful expression of their affection an complicity. The relationship we all await only happens in our minds and the protagonists, whom we are not allowed to know everything they say and desire. Tokyo metaphorically speaking is the third character in the film. The bright colors, the noise of the city...just everything evokes the various spiritual awakenings of the characters.

    It ends on a perfect note leaving the relationship of the characters undecided. This is rare gem in modern day cinema and one of my favorite films. Check it out.

    *** Just an add on to this review. I was asked what I thought Murray's character whispered in Johansson's ear at the end of the film. I think the filmmaker left it up the viewer to decide and I've heard they're is audio on youtube that brings it up so you can hear it ( I've not seen it) but my thinking is that he said " I have never loved anyone as much as you. There are a million reasons I can't be with you, but I will spend everyday for the rest of my life wishing I had done it anyway. I'll always miss you." Maybe thats just me being a hopeless romantic. Watch the film and see what you think.
  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    A little special film. It's based a lot on feelings. And Bill and Scarlett does a good job of letting us read their feelings without saying much. You can tell it's directed by a woman. And I think that that is just what this movie needs to be what it is. I liked it a lot.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    September 13, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    The film played a long really well and I completely understood and felt connected to the main characters, however by the end I was left feeling "what on earth was the point in that". Yes I understand they bonded over a holiday after being the only two who seem out of place in a b... read moreusy and futuristic Tokyo but there was no resolution. They agreed to meet back in America but that's where it ended. I know it's kind of left open to leave it to the viewer to imagine but it was a bit too much.
  • DreamExtractor
    April 24, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    A genius beautiful movie that truly shows a life of a lonely person. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson are genius actors and should have gotten more recognition from this movie. The plot is phenomenal, a movie that has a deeper meaning that a small few can comprehend. The sett... read moreing of Tokyo is beautiful. My only tiff is some parts are slow, but that is a small price for such a genius and amazing movie.
  • nadirairdiana
    April 1, 2011
    nadirairdiana
    Really illustrates the Japanese culture and how western people look at it from the outside. It's a film about how cultures and languages clashes and make life hard for the people from outside the country. The beauty of this film is that the characters feel "alone". Bob and Charlo... read morette have similar problem and become very close when they are away from their wife and husband. A film that is so unique and people who like to travel can relate to it.
  • garyX
    March 16, 2011
    garyX
    Two Americans, one an ageing Hollywood star, the other a bored young housewife, find a common bond when stranded in the twilight hours of Tokyo. Sofia Coppola's fluffy piece of cinematic confection was very warmly received upon it's release, but this comedy drama is really rather... read more lacking in the latter and relies entirely on the formidable charms of Bill Murray's personality and Scarlett Johansson's looks. Murray is his usual appealing self, displaying his trademark stoic bewilderment and laconic quips when faced with some of the more bizarre aspects of Japanese popular culture. There are some funny scenes, usually at the expense of the fatuous and self absorbed actress played by Anna Faris who bears a striking resemblance to Cameron Diaz and I actually really enjoyed this film first time around when viewed in the company of friends and alcohol. Deprived of that convivial atmosphere however, it seemed to be a whole lot of nothing. Appealing but empty.
  • stevenecarrier
    February 19, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I have never seen Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" as a romance. This is a film about intimacy. Don't confuse the two here. These are two characters who are dealing with the same issues (disenchantment, loneliness, depression, ennui - the same issues present in all of her pi... read morectures) who happen to find each other at the right place at the right time. When I say that they 'find each other,' I'm again, not talking about romance. These are two people who need each other as mirrors. They need this intimacy to identify with each other and, separately, realize what they need in life. As the audience, their revelations are not privy to us, and that's how it should be. We are allowed to decide for ourselves what it is that we need to learn. Sofia Coppola is never concerned with telling us anything, she invites us into the scenes and by doing this we become apart of Bob and Charlotte's journey, knowing and not knowing just as much as them. It takes a very special filmmaker do achieve something like this. With the help of her fluid and symbolic photography and Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's mesmerizing and gentle performances, Coppola makes "Lost in Translation" an unforgettable experience.

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Critic Reviews

Richard Corliss
October 5, 2008
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

Lost in Translation revels in contradictions. It's a comedy about melancholy, a romance without consummation, a travelogue that rarely hits the road. Full Review

David Rooney
October 5, 2008
David Rooney, Variety

Very much a mood piece, the film's deft balance of humor and poignancy makes it both a pleasurable and melancholy experience. Full Review

David Ansen
November 1, 2007
David Ansen, Newsweek

With this film it becomes clear that Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker with eyes all her own. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
March 7, 2005
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[Murray] can still do more with a raised eyebrow than anyone since Groucho Marx, but he's mellower and sometimes slightly poignant. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 7, 2004
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

In Japan, the most extreme delicacy goes hand in hand with garishness, and Coppola offers up both for our delectation. It's a heady, hallucinatory combo. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
October 9, 2003
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

Of course, Mr. Murray gets all the laughs with his exquisite timing and wry delivery, but Ms. Johansson makes an eloquent and charismatic listener. Full Review

Roger Moore
September 26, 2003
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

[A] rich and funny film.

Joe Baltake
September 20, 2003
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

A gemlike movie that's intimate and moody but never sentimental. Full Review

Eric Harrison
September 20, 2003
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

A stylish meditation on alienation and ennui. Full Review

Tom Long
September 20, 2003
Tom Long, Detroit News

Textured, thoughtful and touching.

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    • Bob Harris: For relaxing times, make it santori time.
    • Kelly: Ok, listen, I'm under Evelyn Waugh, okay? Okay, Arigato Arigato!
    • John: Muchi Muchi!
    • Charlotte: Evelyn Waugh?
    • John: What?
    • Charlotte: Evelyn Waugh was a man.
    • Charlotte: I just don't know what I'm supposed to be.
    • Bob Harris: The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.
    • Bob Harris: Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?
    • Charlotte: I'm in. I'll go pack my stuff.
    • Bob Harris: I hope that you've had enough to drink. It's going to take courage.
    • Charlotte: You're probably just having a mid-life crisis. Did you buy a Porsche yet?
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Lost In Translation Trivia

  • Which foreign director did Sofia Coppola name as an influence when she won a screenplay Oscar for Lost in Translation?  Answer »
  • Lost in Translation was based in which city?  Answer »
  • She's been the older sister of a boy who's been left home alone, has been lost in translation in Tokyo, has been chosen to go to an island, had an affair with a tennis teacher and has dated a police detective back in the 40's. Who's she?  Answer »
  • What movie has Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanassan together in Japan?  Answer »
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