Lost in Translation (2003)

Directed by

Sofia Coppola

Genre

drama film, independent film, romantic comedy film

Country

United States, Japan

Runtime

1h 37m

Rated

R

Rating

7.4 of 10 from 8,160 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A fading American movie star in Tokyo meets a newly married young woman. Both feel lost and disconnected from their lives. They form an unexpected and gentle bond as they explore the city together.

melancholicdreamlikeslow-burnquietlonelytenderunconventionalreflective

What happens

Lost in Translation is a 2003 romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Bill Murray stars as Bob Harris, a fading American movie star who is having a midlife crisis when he travels to Tokyo to promote Suntory whiskey. He befriends another disillusioned American, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a recent college graduate and married for two years. Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, and Fumihiro Hayashi are also featured. The film explores themes of alienation and disconnection against a backdrop of cultural displacement in Japan. It does not use mainstream narrative conventions and is atypical in its depiction of romance. Coppola started writing the film after spending time in Tokyo and becoming fond of the city. She began forming a story about two characters experiencing a "romantic melancholy" in the Park Hyatt Tokyo, where she stayed while promoting her first feature film, the 1999 drama The Virgin Suicides. Coppola envisioned Murray playing the role of Bob from the beginning and tried to recruit him for months. While Murray eventually agreed to play the part, he did not sign a contract. Coppola spent a quarter of the film's $4 million budget without knowing if he would arrive. Principal photography began on September 29, 2002, and lasted 27 days. Coppola kept a flexible schedule during filming with a small crew and minimal equipment. The screenplay was short and Coppola allowed significant improvisation during filming. The director of photography, Lance Acord, used available light where possible, and many Japanese places of business and public areas were used as locations. After 10 weeks of editing, Coppola sold distribution rights for the United States and Canada to Focus Features, and the company promoted the film through word of mouth. Lost in Translation premiered on August 29, 2003, at the Telluride Film Festival, and was distributed to American theatres on September 12, 2003. At the 76th Academy Awards, Lost in Translation won Coppola Best Original Screenplay, and the film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Murray). Other accolades won include three BAFTAs and three Golden Globes. It has since been named one of the greatest films of the 2000s and 21st century. The film received acclaim for its writing, direction, and performances, and grossed $119 million worldwide. Lost in Translation drew criticism for its depiction of Japanese people; critics and scholars in both the United States and Japan accused the film of racism, Orientalism and anti-Asian stereotyping. This backlash led to organized political pushback as an Asian American movement during the 2003–2004 film awards season, which included a nationwide boycott and petition campaign launched by an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organization against major motion picture industry groups at the 76th Academy Awards. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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