movie review lost in translation

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The Japanese phrase "mono no aware," is a bittersweet reference to the transience of life. It came to mind as I was watching "Lost in Translation," which is sweet and sad at the same time it is sardonic and funny. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson play two lost souls rattling around a Tokyo hotel in the middle of the night, who fall into conversation about their marriages, their happiness and the meaning of it all.

These conversations can really only be held with strangers. 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. Funny, how your spouse doesn't understand the bittersweet transience of life as well as a stranger encountered in a hotel bar. Especially if drinking is involved.

Murray plays Bob Harris , an American movie star in Japan to make commercials for whiskey. "Do I need to worry about you, Bob?" his wife asks over the phone. "Only if you want to," he says. She sends him urgent faxes about fabric samples. Johansson plays Charlotte, whose husband John is a photographer on assignment in Tokyo. She visits a shrine and then calls a friend in America to say, "I didn't feel anything." Then she blurts out: "I don't know who I married." She's in her early 20s, Bob's in his 50s. This is the classic set-up for a May-November romance, since in the mathematics of celebrity intergenerational dating you can take five years off the man's age for every million dollars of income. But "Lost in Translation" is too smart and thoughtful to be the kind of movie where they go to bed and we're supposed to accept that as the answer. Sofia Coppola , who wrote and directed, doesn't let them off the hook that easily. They share something as personal as their feelings rather than something as generic as their genitals.

These are two wonderful performances. Bill Murray has never been better. He doesn't play "Bill Murray" or any other conventional idea of a movie star, but invents Bob Harris from the inside out, as a man both happy and sad with his life -- stuck, but resigned to being stuck. Marriage is not easy for him, and his wife's voice over the phone is on autopilot. But he loves his children. They are miracles, he confesses to Charlotte. Not his children specifically, but -- children.

He is very tired, he is doing the commercials for money and hates himself for it, he has a sense of humor and can be funny, but it's a bother. She has been married only a couple of years, but it's clear that her husband thinks she's in the way. Filled with his own importance, flattered that a starlet knows his name, he leaves her behind in the hotel room because -- how does it go? -- he'll be working, and she won't have a good time if she comes along with him.

Ingmar Bergman's " Scenes from a Marriage " was about a couple who met years after their divorce and found themselves "in the middle of the night in a dark house somewhere in the world." That's how Bob and Charlotte seem to me. Most of the time nobody knows where they are, or cares, and their togetherness is all that keeps them both from being lost and alone. They go to karaoke bars and drug parties, pachinko parlors and, again and again, the hotel bar. They wander Tokyo, an alien metropolis to which they lack the key. They don't talk in the long literate sentences of the characters in " Before Sunrise ," but in the weary understatements of those who don't have the answers.

Now from all I've said you wouldn't guess the movie is also a comedy, but it is. Basically it's a comedy of manners -- Japan's, and ours. Bob Harris goes everywhere surrounded by a cloud of white-gloved women who bow and thank him for -- allowing himself to be thanked, I guess. Then there's the director of the whiskey commercial, whose movements for some reason reminded me of Cab Calloway performing "Minnie the Moocher." And the hooker sent up to Bob's room, whose approach is melodramatic and archaic; she has obviously not studied the admirable Japanese achievements in porno. And the B-movie starlet ( Anna Faris ), intoxicated with her own wonderfulness.

In these scenes there are opportunities for Murray to turn up the heat under his comic persona. He doesn't. He always stays in character. He is always Bob Harris, who could be funny, who could be the life of the party, who could do impressions in the karaoke bar and play games with the director of the TV commercial, but doesn't -- because being funny is what he does for a living, and right now he is too tired and sad to do it for free. Except ... a little. That's where you see the fine-tuning of Murray's performance. In a subdued, fond way, he gives us wry faint comic gestures, as if to show what he could do, if he wanted to.

Well, I loved this movie. I loved the way Coppola and her actors negotiated the hazards of romance and comedy, taking what little they needed and depending for the rest on the truth of the characters. I loved the way Bob and Charlotte didn't solve their problems, but felt a little better anyway. I loved the moment near the end when Bob runs after Charlotte and says something in her ear, and we're not allowed to hear it.

We shouldn't be allowed to hear it. It's between them, and by this point in the movie, they've become real enough to deserve their privacy. Maybe he gave her his phone number. Or said he loved her. Or said she was a good person. Or thanked her. Or whispered, "Had we but world enough, and time..." and left her to look up the rest of it.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Rated R for some sexual content.

102 minutes

Bill Murray as Bob Harris

Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte

Giovanni Ribisi as John

Anna Faris as Kelly

Yutaka Tadokoro as Commercial Director

• Sofia Coppola

Cinematographer

• Lance Acord
• Sarah Flack
• Kevin Shields

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Lost in Translation review – funky little Brief Encounter for the new century

Sofia Coppola conjures a terrifically funny, heartbreakingly sad romance from almost nowhere

S ofia Coppola’s second movie as a director is more than a breakthrough: it’s an insouciant triumph. She conjures a terrifically funny, heartbreakingly sad and swooningly romantic movie from almost nowhere and just makes it look very easy - as well as very modern and very sexy. It is a funky little Brief Encounter for the new century.

Bill Murray is Coppola’s leading man, in a part she says she wrote with him in mind. Now, Murray can be high-risk casting; everyone knows how good he is, but when he decides to switch off and just coast, no one looks more contemptuously uninterested. (Remember him in Osmosis Jones?) Here, though, Murray’s Mitchum-ish not-caring aura is channelled and shaped in just the right way, and he gives one of the best performances of his career.

Murray plays Bob, a has-been movie star staying at a vast Tokyo hotel - a virtual mini-city-state with its own complex of bars, restaurants and gym facilities - where he is filming a Japanese whisky commercial: that lucrative gig notoriously accepted by the grandest of real-life Hollywood stars on the understanding that the ad will never be shown in the US. Bob candidly despises himself for doing this, and is all too aware that a big reason for it, apart from the money, is to get away from a marriage that is starting to go sour.

Meanwhile, in another part of the hotel, Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson , is a thoughtful young woman matching Murray’s menopausal ennui with a quarterlife crisis of her own. She has been married for just two years to John, a hotshot photographer, played by Giovanni Ribisi. John is on an assignment taking pictures of a fashionable indie band and Charlotte has agreed to come along for the ride and amuse herself as best she may while John is out working.

But alienated and unsettled by Tokyo’s clamorous high-rise strangeness, Charlotte experiences a flash of panic about her own life. What is she doing here? Does she even know that much about her husband? Her quiet dismay is deepened when John is obviously wildly excited at hanging out with an appalling Hollywood airhead with an unearthly similarity to Britney Spears. Charlotte, the Yale graduate in her unflattering woollen tank-top is made to feel dowdy and dull by this jabbering Valley girl.

So Bob and Charlotte are pretty well made for each other. During strained conversation with John’s dullard buddies in the bar, Charlotte makes eye contact with Bob who is drinking himself into oblivion there every night, assiduously preserving the integrity of his disdain by pickling it in booze.

Bob’s droll smirk of complicity is irresistible, and soon they are hanging out, having fun, sharing a big private joke in the wackiness of Japan and not admitting to themselves or each other their growing tenderness.

The warmth and gentleness that Coppola gets from Murray and Johansson is a miracle of intelligent, hands-off direction. As a writer, she gives us a hilarious scene in which Murray, togged up in tuxedo and bizarre Mikado-level make-up, has to leer at the camera and mouth the ad slogan, before enduring a Japanese director’s screaming rage (“Cut-a! Cut-a! Cut-a!”) which is rendered into tactful English by the interpreter.

Bob and Charlotte’s big adventure reaches a lovely scene when they confess their most personal fears to each other, while lying on a bed, their hands not touching, their lips not meeting. It’s hardly without sexual tension, but the intimacy goes beyond regular-issue desire, and when Bob tells her how he felt when his children were born, their relationship for a moment slips through the net of classification. Are they lovers? Friends? Mentor and pupil in the mysteries of life? Father and daughter?

It’s impossible to say. “Let’s not ever come back here,” says Charlotte to him. “Because it’ll never be as much fun again.” There’s no point in Bob asking for her number, or for Charlotte asking for his because this connection can never, should never be prolonged or revived beyond this gently ecstatic moment. And this fact gives a special poignancy to Murray’s weatherbeaten, sensitive face on the cusp of turning into that of an old man.

Who knew Sofia Coppola could direct comedy? Not me. This lightness of touch wasn’t exactly obvious from her debut, the estimable, but self-consciously serious movie The Virgin Suicides four years ago. Between then and now she has grown up, or maybe the chemistry between her, Murray and Johansson produced a one-off special something. Either way, she has given us a gorgeously warm and witty love story and one of the best films of the year. It left me feeling lighter than air.

• Sofia Coppola
• Bill Murray
• Scarlett Johansson
• Drama films
• Romance films

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Lost in translation, common sense media reviewers.

Excellent but mature film about finding a connection.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Explores times of searching in life for identity a

Bob has an affair, which upsets Charlotte, but oth

Friends of Charlotte provoke a bartender and get c

Bob has an affair, but nothing is shown. An escort

Song in strip club about "sucking on my &quot

Characters stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo and many s

Charlotte smokes and her husband says "it'

Parents need to know that Lost in Translation shows many aspects of night life in Tokyo, including drinking and smoking. Characters also go to a strip club (where women are topless and wearing barely there G-strings and giving lap dances), get chased out of a bar with a fake gun, smoke pot before performing…

Positive Messages

Explores times of searching in life for identity and purpose. And it also shows how precious it is to find a sense of connection when you feel like an outsider.

Positive Role Models

Bob has an affair, which upsets Charlotte, but otherwise they form a solid friendship.

Violence & Scariness

Friends of Charlotte provoke a bartender and get chased with a gun that probably has rubber bullets. Someone throws a bottle at them and they get chased some more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Bob has an affair, but nothing is shown. An escort is sent to Bob's door and tries to play-act getting her stockings ripped; Bob wants none of it. In a Tokyo strip club bare-breasted women in barely there G-strings writhe around and give friends of Charlotte a lap dance.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Song in strip club about "sucking on my "t--ies." Plus "s--t," "hell," and "Christ's sake."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Characters stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo and many scenes take place in the hotel.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Charlotte smokes and her husband says "it's just so bad for you." She says, "I'll stop later." Plenty of smoking and drinking in the many bar scenes. Charlotte and friends smoke pot before singing karaoke.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Lost in Translation shows many aspects of night life in Tokyo, including drinking and smoking. Characters also go to a strip club (where women are topless and wearing barely there G-strings and giving lap dances), get chased out of a bar with a fake gun, smoke pot before performing karaoke, and one character has an affair (with nothing shown). There's a little bit of strong language that includes "s--t." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (14)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Awesome, fun, funny, and great!

By far my favorite movie of all time, what's the story.

LOST IN TRANSLATION centers on American movie star Bob ( Bill Murray ), who is in Tokyo to appear in whiskey ads, and Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ), an unemployed wife who is there with her photographer husband ( Giovanni Ribisi ). Everything in Japan makes Bob and Charlotte feel out of place. Neither can get to sleep, and their bleary disorientation contrasts with the sensory overload of Tokyo. But it's not just their brains that are out of focus; it is their hearts and souls as well. Both have a lot of trouble connecting to others, both are in transition. Bob and Charlotte connect in a way they don't understand. But they do understand that it is precious to them to feel that way -- or just to feel. And they treat that feeling with touching delicacy. She takes him to a karaoke club. He takes her to the emergency room when she hurts her toe. They don't exchange life stories, discover that they love the same poem, or have any of the usual movie indicators that they are soul-mates. They just understand each other a little and like each other a little more. And that is a very nice thing to observe.

Is It Any Good?

Sofia Coppola ( The Virgin Suicides ) has written and directed a fascinating film. Lost in Translation is less about a story than about the sights, the feelings, the moments, and the especially the connection between two Americans adrift in Tokyo.

The performances by Murray and Johansson are tender delights. Anna Faris ( Scary Movie ) is deliciously perfect as a starlet who has had too many people tell her how interesting she is. Coppola is a master of moments and details, and here they add up to a story that is beautifully bittersweet.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why Bob and Charlotte are drawn to each other. What do they have in common? What is most different about them? Is their connection believable?

What do you think Bob whispers to Charlotte at the end?

Why do you think this movie was so critically acclaimed?

Movie Details

• In theaters : September 12, 2003
• On DVD or streaming : February 2, 2004
• Cast : Bill Murray , Giovanni Ribisi , Scarlett Johansson
• Director : Sofia Coppola
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Focus Features
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 102 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : some sexual content
• Last updated : February 22, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Our editors recommend.

The Virgin Suicides

Marie Antoinette

Drama movies that tug at the heartstrings, courtroom dramas.

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Lost in Translation Reviews

The culture has shifted in the two decades since Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson bonded in a Tokyo hotel for LOST IN TRANSLATION, one of Sophia Coppola's best.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Feb 14, 2024

Just like the final words of Sofia Coppola’s film, the best parts of the movie are left indecipherable...

Full Review | Sep 29, 2023

Sofia Coppola’s sophomore film is another exploration of delicate relationships and uncommunicated frustrations, this one in a beautifully composed atmosphere of isolation.

Full Review | Apr 8, 2023

It remains mesmerizing all these years later, even upon repeat viewings.

Full Review | Aug 17, 2022

Life stops being terrifying when we open the doors to the unknown. Even for a short amount of time. Coppola's "Lost in Translation" is written beautifully. Full review in Spanish

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 7, 2022

Lost in Translation respectfully tackles the subject of companionship and relationships while still providing laughs. Its a film that I regretfully waited too long to view, but grateful to have found this gem.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 18, 2022

Murray, playing an extension of himself, fills the role with ease, and Johansson is right in step with him.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 9, 2020

What Coppola presents is something akin to a mindfulness session - the art of being present in the moment.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 16, 2020

I can never remember the plot, but who cares. The emotional throughline is crystal clear.

Full Review | Jul 1, 2020

...its pretty images of Tokyo and oddball intergenerational friendship coalesce into something unexpectedly moving...

Full Review | Mar 16, 2020

Like her debut film, The Virgin Suicides, Coppola creates a beautiful-looking film with depth and texture, along with a couple of outstanding performances from its lead actors.

Full Review | Nov 15, 2019

A marvellous, exquisite movie.

Full Review | Jan 11, 2018

Depicts a very specific mental state too shaded and delicate for most movies to feel comfortable approaching it.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jul 29, 2013

Excellent but mature film about finding a connection.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 25, 2010

A relationship picture with elegant connective tissue; it's brittle and real, focused on the nuances of body language and unspoken desire, while indulging in a cheeky bit of knowing absurdity when the mood strikes.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Dec 28, 2009

...a deceptively simple study in unrequited attraction that succeeds in spite of minor problems with neglected sub-plots.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jun 13, 2009

An excellent top notch gem with beautiful direction courtesy of Sofia Coppola...

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 29, 2009

Wonderfully warm and witty.

Full Review | Oct 18, 2008

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 | Oct 5, 2008

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

Lost in Translation Review: 20 Years Later, Sofia Coppola's Masterpiece Still Packs a Heartfelt Punch

A 20th-anniversary screening was held in Los Angeles for a packed crowd that was laughing — and tearing up — all the way through.

• Sofia Coppola's masterpiece, Lost in Translation , is still just as great 20 years later, with perfect performances and a dreamy mood.
• The film explores deep themes of meaninglessness and alienation, showcasing the void at the heart of everything and how to embrace it.
• The ending, with Bob whispering into Charlotte's ear, remains one of the best film finales of all time, and we'll attempt to explain it.

There's nothing like seeing Lost in Translation alongside fellow die-hard fans, even if it's for the second (or third) time. It's also worth tracking down Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning script online and giving it a read while you're at it. Her latest film Priscilla was yet another jewel in her cinematic crown in a filmography centered on isolated women, but Lost in Translation might just take the cake as Sofia Coppola's best film . Once you've seen it enough times, your mind starts to take it in a whole new direction. You sink deeper past the surface and feel new things. For instance, is Lost in Translation a meditation on humanity's place in the universe — how we travel to different parts of the world and try to set up shop, often to mixed results?

Think about it: Our ancestors once traveled to new parts of the globe, colonized, found true love, and then that's about it. Is there anything more than this? How do we relate to each other, to culture, to romance, when we recognize the void in everything and can't enjoy the meaningless pursuit of pleasure? Thanks to a recent 20th-anniversary screening in Los Angeles, a small chunk of the millennial generation was able to ruminate on the themes of this early 2000s indie flick in the cinema, giving us the perfect reason to revisit and review Lost in Translation . Let's take a step back and look at the inner workings of this seemingly innocuous tale about foreigners finding a kind of connection in a place they don't exactly belong in.

Lost in Translation and Ahead of Its Time

Lost in translation.

• Sofia Coppola's masterpiece is just as great 20 years later.
• Perfect performances from Bill Murray and Johansson create great chemistry.
• The gorgeous music and cinematography create a dreamy, melancholic mood.
• The deep themes of the film meaningfully explore meaninglessness and alienation.
• Lost in Translation is even funnier than you remember.

It's hard to believe it's been 20 whole years since Francis Ford Coppola's daughter was standing up on the Oscars stage accepting her well-deserved trophy for the flawless script that became Lost in Translation, an effort that Bill Murray still says is his favorite role of all time. No surprise there, as he was rightfully Academy Award-nominated for his portrayal of the fictitious Bob Harris, an aging movie star who has entered that "hosting stage" of his career (an idea that was later parodied in the hit film The Menu with John Leguizamo's character).

Thanks to Bob's hilariously deadpan antics in the first act of Lost in Translation , you might have forgotten how laugh-out-loud funny this movie is. Brain Dead Studios in LA recently hosted a screening of the film, and it was remarkable how uproarious the packed theater was. And the laughs didn't stop there, especially once Anna Faris arrives on-screen as Kelly, satirizing another Hollywood archetype, namely the bubbly pop-star/actress who may or may not actually be talented.

It's a refreshing throwback to see baby-faced versions of Farris, Giovanni Ribisi as her former photographer, and the almost unrecognizable Scarlett Johansson as his wife. Years later, Johannsen would be double-nominated for Academy Awards thanks to her scene-stealing turns in Marriage Story and JoJo Rabbit . In these more recent efforts, she is sharp, well-spoken, and lightyears away from the beautifully subdued and melancholic portrayal of Charlotte in Lost in Translation .

Meanwhile, Murray would go on to star in another acclaimed Coppola picture, On the Rocks , but it was Lost in Translation (alongside Rushmore ) that really helped change Murray's image from comedy icon to complicated leading man. And Ribisi had already collaborated with Coppola on a previous film, having narrated her film adaptation of The Virgin Suicides . MovieWeb recently interviewed Stephen Dorff , star of Coppola's film Somewhere — which is possibly her best film after Lost in Translation — and he reiterated what he's said about how wonderful it is to work with a director like Coppola. No wonder, then, that the late, great Roger Ebert gave Dorff's 2010 film four stars , which is easy to agree with.

Lost in Existentialism

The reason Somewhere comes to mind after having revisited Lost in Translation is because of the philosophy that rings out throughout these often dialogue-free films . Characters who have to speak in order to convey emotions don't always capture our hearts, do they? How does that expression go — "actions speak louder than words?" Back in 2003, Lost in Translation hit the masses with quiet moments that spoke volumes about the human condition. It seems this trend is still going strong in Hollywood; just look at the recent films No One Will Save You and Silent Night . Lost in Translation , meanwhile, covers its wordlessness with one of the best soundtracks of all time, featuring original music by Brian Reitzell and the legendary Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine.

In Somewhere , Johnny Marco (Dorff) drives in circles, stares at the walls and hires dancers to fill the void. In Lost in Translation , Charlotte curls up in her hotel bedsheets and stares out the window at the endless thrills Tokyo tries to offer. Could that fill her void? Could success, art, or marriage at such a young age? Maybe not, but maybe some temporary true love — be it platonic or mysteriously romantic — with an aging movie star might suit her better, at least for the moment she needs it the most.

Lost in Translation is ultimately a study of two people who recognize that void at the heart of everything and learn to accept it. They feel out of place everywhere they go. Everyone else is able to endlessly pursue pleasure or a fabled sense of the exotic, able to enjoy consumption, because they don't see the void. Bob's wife cares about carpet color swatches; Bob could not care less. Charlotte's husband cares about what's cool and fashionable; Charlotte could not care less. Bob and Charlotte's anhedonia is exemplified in the strip club scene where, surrounded by naked pleasure and hedonism, they are confronted with their own boredom.

Bob and Charlotte are existentially lost in translation. In a world of bright lights and big cities, fast art, sex, hotels, and entertainment, they are unsatisfied. They don't experience the same banal pleasures of other people, and they don't comprehend them. We see this exaggerated in the quietly humorous whiskey commercial scene. Bob asks a short question; the translator turns his five words into 50. The director goes on for practically 60 seconds explaining his intention; this is translated into barely three words by the translator. There is something missing here, something lost between Bob and everyone else.

Related: Best Bill Murray Movies of All Time, Ranked

Words and communication become more noise for them. It makes sense, then, that they have a good night with people they don't understand. Hanging out with a Japanese group, they party throughout the night, enjoying the fact that they can't comprehend much of their surroundings; if they could, they'd recognize its emptiness, just like everything else. The truest words in the film are spoken, or rather sung, by Bob when he performs a karaoke version of Roxy Music's "More Than This." The title teases that there is something more to all this pleasure-seeking, a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow's search for meaning. But the lyrics admit, "There is nothing more than this."

Lost in Translation's Ending and the Whisper (Not) Explained

This realization of meaninglessness and the breakdown in communication between someone who experiences the void and a culture that is defined by filling it leads to the beautiful ending of Coppola's film. The theatrical experience really helps with Lost in Translation , especially — on the matter of dialogue-free moments — with that final scene where Bob whispers into Charlotte's ear. Movie buffs everywhere still debate what he actually says to her. And seeing Lost in Translation on the big screen might throw you for a loop, as one's memory of the scene might be totally different.

For example, a home-viewing experience might prevent the audience from actually hearing Bob's voice a bit. Having experienced the moment again in theaters, you can definitely hear the bass of his voice, but still can't make out the words. It makes the moment all the more haunting, but in a beautiful way. By showing and teasing Bob and Charlotte intimately exchanging something perhaps finally meaningful between the two of them, but not allowing the audience to be privy to it, we are reminded of the void in communication, the disconnect between all of us, and our inability to fully penetrate the absence that separates us.

As Todd McGowan writes in his seminal Lacanian essay on the film, There Is Nothing Lost in Translation , "The point is not that we can't hear what Bob communicates, but that he communicates what can't be heard." He continues:

"Whereas most Hollywood romances end with an image of the plenitude of the ultimate enjoyment embodied in the successful romantic couple, Lost in Translation concludes with an image of absence and failure — the absence of what Bob says to Charlotte. In doing so, the film suggests that the relationship organized around absence actually provides a mode of enjoyment far more profound than the relationship dedicated to presence and plenitude. "As Lost in Translation shows throughout, excess inevitably promises more than it can deliver, and consequently, the only enjoyment that it provides for us is imaginary. When we see images of excess, we imagine that they carry the ultimate enjoyment, but this enjoyment only exists insofar as it remains out of reach in the image. Every attempt to realize it creates dissatisfaction. The enjoyment of absence, however, is an enjoyment in the Real, and as a result, it delivers more than it promises."

Related: Best Scarlett Johansson Movies, Ranked

In the end, we don't know these two people, and they are alienated from us and the world around them. But for a few days, they were together in the void; for a few days, they flirted with their own absence from the "fun" and "pleasure" and "meaning" so many of us seek, and found that absence to be transcendent. It's easy to be reduced to tears and chills just revisiting this emotionally soaring sequence in your head. Long live Lost in Translation !

Lost in Translation is available to rent or purchase on various digital platforms such as Vudu, Apple TV, and Google Play. You can rent or buy it through the Prime Video link below, and check out Scarlett Johanses discussing the 20th anniversary of the film below:

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FILM REVIEW

FILM REVIEW; An American in Japan, Making a Connection

By Elvis Mitchell

• Sept. 12, 2003

The director Sofia Coppola's new comic melodrama, ''Lost in Translation,'' thoroughly and touchingly connects the dots between three standards of yearning in movies: David Lean's ''Brief Encounter,'' Richard Linklater's ''Before Sunrise'' and Wong Kar-wei's ''In the Mood for Love.'' All three movies are, in their way, about a moment of evanescence that fades before the participants' eyes -- as is ''Translation.'' (''Translation'' also exhibits the self-contained, stylized lonesomeness found in post-punk, like New Order's ''Bizarre Love Triangle.'')

Ms. Coppola's movie also happens to be hilarious -- a paean to dislocated people discovering how alive they are when they can barely keep their eyes open. The sexiness comes from the busy, desperate need-to-impress heat of a flirtation, an unrequited love communicated through a filter of sleep deprivation.

''Translation,'' which opens today in New York and Los Angeles, is also one of the purest and simplest examples ever of a director falling in love with her star's gifts. And never has a director found a figure more deserving of her admiration than Bill Murray. He plays a vodka-and-bitters version of himself and the persona that made him famous. His character, Bob, is an American movie star who is in Tokyo to participate in the celebrity not-so-secret shame: he's picking up a boatload of dough to perform in commercials for Suntory whiskey. He arrives in Japan just in time to gaze, slightly embarrassed, at the sullen billboards of himself that are starting to appear there. While blinking sleeplessly around the lobby of the majestically hermetic Tokyo Hyatt, he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), who has been abandoned by her photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi); he's off shooting a band.

The movie follows the twists and connections in Bob and Charlotte's relationship -- like some trans-Atlantic phone calls, their feelings reach each other on a five-second delay. The lag time only embellishes the comedy, and the heartbreak.

It's the first grown-up starring part that Mr. Murray has had, and he inflects every facet of public awareness of Bill Murray with a sure, beveled determination. That may be because he has never really had a leading role that has asked him simply to pay attention to the other actors instead of guide the scene or save it.

Lean and physically witty -- because he has dropped the awareness of the audience's demand for mainstream comedy -- he even seems to be standing taller, perched on Bob's courtliness. Generally, Mr. Murray has given performances worth paying attention to in movies that no one sees, like his physical inhabitation of Hunter S. Thompson in ''Where the Buffalo Roam,'' perhaps the only film example extant of Mr. Murray's ability to depict vulnerability and physical threat simultaneously.

Here he supplies the kind of performance that seems so fully realized and effortless that it can easily be mistaken for not acting at all. The corollary of this is that Ms. Coppola's direction is so breezily assured in its awareness of loneliness that the film could potentially be dismissed as self-consciously moody rather than registering as a mood piece. But it's bound to be recognized as a movie worthy of the kind of Oscar attention occasionally given to films that challenge audiences subtly. Mr. Murray could collect the Academy Award that he didn't get for ''Rushmore.''

Here, his capacity for absorbing everything around him has taken a toll, and the visibility of that burden is what ''Translation'' is all about. The psychodrama in the phone calls from Bob's wife adds a chilling layer of passive-aggressive horror that makes you understand why he had to flee to Tokyo. But thanks to Ms. Coppola's gracefulness, those conversations don't overwhelm the movie; instead, they add texture.

As does Ms. Johansson's Charlotte. At 18, the actress gets away with playing a 25-year-old woman by using her husky voice to test the level of acidity in the air. Charlotte's husband has already stopped listening to her, and we can see that her pain is dulled by her exhaustion level. Ms. Johansson is not nearly as accomplished a performer as Mr. Murray, but Ms. Coppola gets around this by using Charlotte's simplicity and curiosity as keys to her character.

Being shut away from experience has made Charlotte even lonelier than Bob, and their relationship flowers because he is eager for experience, too. Ms. Coppola gives Mr. Murray a scene that actors dream of; he falls definitively for Charlotte as she struggles through a karaoke version of ''Brass in Pocket,'' a wisp of a smile flitting across his face as he watches her perform in a frosting-pink wig. She is his dream of an uncomplicated future, and Ms. Coppola lovingly shoots Ms. Johansson's wary, lazy eyes and lush lips -- almost as a parody of Japanimation.

Music is a big part of the director's life; Ms. Coppola's previous feature, a screen adaptation of ''The Virgin Suicides,'' was informed more substantially by the score by the group Air than by the narrative. She also allows Bob a chance to croon some karaoke, including a cover of Roxy Music's ''More Than This.''

Certainly we anticipate Mr. Murray's trashy sarcasm when he steps in front of a microphone, but we cringe slightly; if he whips Bryan Ferry's doomed narcissism around his throat like a scarf, the kind of thing he did when he invented this routine in the late 1970's on ''Saturday Night Live,'' he'll get his laugh and demolish the movie. Instead he renders the song with a goofy delicacy; his workingman's suavity and generosity carry the day. And ''Translation'' already has a joke of a hotel lounge singer, played by Catherine Lambert, who is used for a bigger laugh later.

A joy of filmmaking pervades the movie, and an instinctive understanding of the medium is evident. Sound is used so beautifully it takes your breath away; in a scene where Bob carries the dozing Charlotte to her room, the hotel corridor is gently dusted with aural density; the noise of air conditioners and fluorescent lights becomes a part of the milieu.

The director is more than ably complemented by her sound designer, Richard Beggs, as well as the cinematographer Lance Acord and the editor Sarah Flack. All of their skills can be glimpsed in a scene that ends with Bob and Charlotte fleeing a karaoke bar as a friend fires a toy pistol that shoots lighted pellets at them, the gun's rat-a-tat fading into the jangling of a pachinko parlor.

The movie conveys dislocation and the hungers it causes more than just visually. Perhaps because of that, ''Translation'' exists more as a film rendering psychological colorations than as a script. Obviously, Ms. Coppola placed all her trust in her actors. Anna Faris, who barely registers in the ''Scary Movie'' pictures -- and she's the star -- comes to full, lovable and irritating life as a live-wire starlet complicating Charlotte's life. Ms. Faris has already had work; this movie will secure her a career.

But as a result of Ms. Coppola's faith, this is really Mr. Murray's movie, and his respect for his director couldn't be more visible.

In the handful of films she has done -- including her short, ''Lick the Star'' -- Ms. Coppola has shown an interest in emotional way stations. Her characters are caught between past and future -- lost in transition. Perhaps her films are a kind of ongoing metaphorical autobiography, but no matter. The important point is that there's a lot up there on the screen, plenty to get lost in.

''Lost in Translation'' is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has sexual content as well as strong language and alcohol consumption.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola; director of photography, Lance Acord; edited by Sarah Flack; original music by Kevin Shields; sound designer, Richard Beggs, production designers, Anne Ross and K. K. Barrett; produced by Ms. Coppola and Ross Katz; released by Focus Features. Running time: 102 minutes. This film is rated R.

WITH: Bill Murray (Bob Harris), Scarlett Johansson (Charlotte), Giovanni Ribisi (John), Anna Faris (Kelly) and Catherine Lambert (Jazz Singer).

A film review in Weekend on Friday about Sofia Coppola's ''Lost in Translation'' misspelled the given name of a director whose movie ''In the Mood for Love'' was cited as evocative of Ms. Coppola's work. He is Wong Kar-Wai, not Wong Kar-Wei.

A film review in Weekend last Friday about Sofia Coppola's ''Lost in Translation'' misspelled the given name of a director whose movie ''In the Mood for Love'' was compared with Ms. Coppola's, and a correction in this space on Tuesday reversed the relationship between the movies. The director is Wong Kar-Wai, not Wong Kar-Wei; it was Ms. Coppola's film that was described in the review as evocative of Mr. Wong's (which predated it by two years).

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• DVD & Streaming

Lost in Translation

Content caution.

In Theaters

• Bill Murray as Bob Harris; Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte; Akiko Takeshita as Ms. Kawasaki; Yutaka Tadokoro as Commercial Director

Home Release Date

• Sofia Coppola

Distributor

• Focus Features

Movie Review

If you aren’t feeling very lonely right now, you very well may by the time you’ve finished reading this review. For it is the review of a movie that woos, romances and longs after loneliness. A movie that is capable of reaching down inside the most gregarious, convivial person in the world and drawing to the surface a kernel of desperate detachment.

Bob is an over-the-hill, middle-aged movie star who relies on his accumulated fame to keep him in the money through retirement. He’s in Tokyo to earn $2 million for shooting a whiskey commercial. Charlotte is a young college graduate, recently married and tagging along with her photographer husband on a business trip. Both wind up at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, with lots of time on their hands and no one to share it with. After 25 years, Bob’s marriage is shaky, suffering from his frequent absences. After two years, Charlotte’s not sure who it is she married, or why. Both are tired. Bored. Lonely. And emotionally fragile. So when they meet, there’s an instant connection. Age and social status (or even marital status, for that matter) seem irrelevant as the two cradle drinks at the hotel bar, share lunches, midnight parties and 4 a.m. heart-to-hearts.

Positive Elements

Indirectly, Lost in Translation illustrates several valuable lessons, among them that marriage is a big commitment and it takes a lot of work to keep it on the straight and narrow. It also shows how fickle our hearts can be when emotions cloud clear thinking. (That can serve as a warning for us not to put ourselves in the way of temptation, though the film certainly doesn’t try to explore that territory.) Bob doesn’t spend much time with his kids, but he’s still smitten with them, and seems to subconsciously wish things were different. [ Spoiler Warning ] Bob and Charlotte are certainly having an “affair of the mind” (and that is not to be taken lightly), but they don’t consummate their passion and, ultimately, they don’t leave their families to flounder. (Don’t look for too many easy answers here, though. The movie’s temperament is encapsulated in the following exchange between Bob and Charlotte: “I’m stuck,” Charlotte says softly. “Does it get any easier?” Bob replies flatly, “No. Yes.”)

Spiritual Elements

At a press conference, a young movie star yammers on about how she loves Buddhism and that she thinks she was reincarnated. The movie also includes mumbo-jumbo about our souls picking our path through life before we are born. Charlotte visits Buddhist shrines.

Sexual Content

Charlotte wears revealing panties in several shots (the movie opens with a lingering close-up of her backside). A “masseuse” arrives in Bob’s room wearing a costume that reveals cleavage and a lot of leg, and seems intent on getting Bob to have sex with her. He’s more annoyed by her than attracted to her, and does everything he can to get away from her. Later on, though, he beds the lounge singer from the bar downstairs (the act is implied by a scene showing him waking up the next morning). Bob and Charlotte go to a strip club (the room is dimly lit, but topless dancers can be seen and blaring music contains sexually explicit lyrics).

Violent Content

A rowdy scene at a nightclub ends with “shots” ringing out from a toy machine gun. At first you think the gun might be real, but it quickly becomes apparent it is not as all it does is emit flashes of light. A bottle is thrown. A lamp is broken. A man is stabbed on TV.

Crude or Profane Language

Two s-words and not many more milder profanities. God’s name is misused a half-dozen times (“Oh my God,” “Christ’s sake”).

Drug and Alcohol Content

It’s Tokyo. People smoke. Cigarettes seem to grow off the ends of fingers in nearly every scene. Bob smokes a cigar. Charlotte smokes cigarettes. Both drink excessively, especially Bob. Several times he refers to hard liquor as a calming agent and the commercial he shoots for whiskey celebrates the substance even further.

Other Negative Elements

Bulimia and anorexia are discussed in a way that may seem trivial to those touched by the diseases.

Director Sophia Coppola (Francis Ford’s daughter) draws on her own experiences in Tokyo to bring it to life. Bob and Charlotte’s collective pensiveness and dislocation is backlit by the Japanese capital’s freneticism. And the contrast is used to good effect. Racing elevated trains, throngs of pedestrians, flashing neon signs and the din of bad karaoke don’t neutralize the angst, they accentuate and exacerbate it to the point that its nearly tangible.

Bill Murray has always had a melancholy streak. But he typically uses it as a foil for his humor. Here, he wears it on his sleeve, refusing to duck and cover behind mirth and frivolity. And in doing so he delivers the performance of a lifetime. His onscreen companion, Scarlett Johansson (The Man Who Wasn’t There, The Horse Whisperer) , easily keeps pace, allowing onlookers a riveting glimpse of the tragedy that occurs when youthful energy and enthusiasm crash into directionlessness and amorality.

If one refuses to give in to the movie’s moodiness, it becomes merely a dim documentary of two individuals’ plodding trips to Tokyo. They eat. They go for walks. They gaze out over the city from their generic hotel rooms. Indeed, eliminate emotion from the equation and Lost in Translation stops working in any language. But it’s impossible to separate what’s happening onscreen with what happens in your heart. And that is what has made this movie a critic’s darling. It’s also the pit it falls into while the crowds are obliviously cheering. Because of those strong emotions racing back and forth between projected image and human heart, moviegoers will find themselves relishing the connection and bond they see “innocently” forming between Bob and Charlotte. You’re compelled to desire their happiness, and the only way they’ll ever be happy, you become convinced, is for them to be together. Never mind that that would mean the destruction of two separate families. Sucked in to the moment, it’s easy not to care.

Steven Isaac

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Lost in Translation Review

09 Jan 2004

102 minutes

Lost in Translation

With cinemas dominated by underwhelming blockbusters and formulaic rom-coms, it's easy to become disillusioned with the state of the movies. Thank the almighty, then, for Lost In Translation, which in 102 wondrous minutes will restore your faith in the power of the medium.

This is a film exploring themes of fidelity, disillusionment and commercialism, but one in which you're never far from a belly laugh or a delicate tug of the heartstrings. Sofia Coppola showed huge potential with her first feature, The Virgin Suicides, but her follow-up represents a leap into the A-list of young talent.

Ironically for a piece partly concerned with breakdowns in communication, Coppola and her cast convey complex ideas brilliantly. Neither the heart-stopping ecstasy of new love, nor the mind-numbing agony of jet lag, nor the inspirational, life-affirming qualities of pop music are easy to evoke on celluloid, but the film addresses these and every issue with an eloquent simplicity.

The writer-director is also smart enough to pepper her screenplay with comic set-pieces in which Bill Murray can cut loose. Photo shoots, TV sets, hospital waiting rooms, golf courses and hotel gyms serve as backdrops against which Murray displays his comic genius. These crowd-pleasing moments fuel the audience's affection for the character (even if they occasionally patronise his Japanese hosts), so we're deeply emotionally involved when, understandably, he begins to lose his heart to the delectable Johansson.

The growing romance is portrayed with delicate beauty, including a breathtaking moment in - of all the hackneyed, overused settings - a karaoke lounge. Murray croons Roxy Music's hit More Than This, his eyes meet Johansson's and, in a single take, with no heavy-handed close-ups, the electric connection between the two characters is made clear. Like lightning captured in a bottle, it will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

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We’ll Never Know Everything About ‘Lost in Translation’

Just like the final words of Sofia Coppola’s now-20-year-old film, the best parts of the movie are left indecipherable

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When Bill Murray was struggling to connect as a featured player on the second season of Saturday Night Live , he decided to get personal: At the urging of Lorne Michaels, he addressed the show’s audience directly, taking responsibility for his rocky start. “I don’t think I’m making it on the show,” said the then-27-year-old comedian, staring the camera down from behind a desk with the seriousness of a cheating husband, or maybe a disgraced politician. “My friends say, ‘How come they’re giving you all those parts that aren’t funny?’” he went on, before taking a deep, wincing breath and delivering the punch line: “It’s not the material. It’s me.”

Not only did Murray’s apology get big laughs—and alleviate the genuine pressure the former Second City star was feeling in the shadow of brilliant and acclaimed cast members like John Belushi and Gilda Radner—but it clarified something about his comic persona that’s been true for nearly 50 years: When it comes to Bill Murray, the material doesn’t really matter, because he is the material. For better or for worse, Bill Murray will always be Bill Murray , and that’s exactly how we want him. Some actors are great because they can stretch their talents, but Murray’s genius lies in refusing to give an inch. He isn’t good at reaching out because he emits the aura of someone who doesn’t seem to think anything is worth holding on to in the first place. He is the modern master of blasé resignation. Think of Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters , casually no-selling the state-of-the-art effects swirling around him. Or Phil Connors in Groundhog Day , a small-town Sisyphus marinating in delusions of grandeur (“I’m a god … not the God”). Or the gleefully cynical camp counselor in Meatballs , simultaneously pumping up and deflating his teenage charges with the rousing, nihilistic battle cry of beta-male hipsters through the ages: “It just doesn’t matter!”

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One way to look at Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation , which turns 20 years old this month, is as a movie that puts that callow mantra to the test. Sleepwalking through a neon-rainbow Tokyo on an assignment to film a big-budget whiskey commercial, Murray’s Bob Harris is a movie star approaching his own lonely supernova. At least a decade past his prime and only semi-happily married—his wife appears in the film as a disembodied voice on the telephone—he looks slumped, rumpled, and beaten, like he might implode at any moment. At the promo shoot, he’s sullen and sarcastic, a seasoned pro running on self-loathing autopilot; back in his hotel room, he fends off (unwanted) female escorts and faxes from home with the same droopy irritability. It’s only when he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a fellow American pulling jet-lagged all-nighters in five-star surroundings, that Bob’s charisma clicks and we get a sense of why strangers might recognize him in the first place. Crammed into a high-rise karaoke booth with a group of locals, he serenades his new platonic pal with a song whose lyrics hint equally at his own middle-aged malaise and at a friendship that contains anxious, taboo multitudes.

The choice of art-rock pioneers Roxy Music’s swooniest and most yearning single as Bob’s weapon of would-be seduction is beautifully apt and pointed: Released in 1982, “More Than This” is two years older than Johansson. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s karaoke selection, “Brass in Pocket,” is a hymn to adolescent overconfidence—the perfect pick for a young woman who’s just pretending (or is she?) to flirt in return. If a sense of curation is the one common denominator of the important American directors who emerged after Quentin Tarantino, Coppola is as good as anybody at finding the right places on-screen for her enthusiasms: fashion, music, cinema, poetry, and other assorted ephemera. The most important fetish object in Lost in Translation is surely Murray himself, without whom the movie would not have been made; in a 2010 interview with The Daily Beast , Coppola recounted writing the role of Bob Harris for her “fantasy hero” and then pursuing the star for months through telephone calls and mutual friends before getting him to sign off (and even then worrying he wouldn’t show up for the shoot). But Murray’s presence wouldn’t mean nearly as much if all the other elements of Lost in Translation weren’t so perfectly calibrated in counterpoint to his bristling, deadpan gravitas—or if Coppola, who was 31 at the time of filming, hadn’t had it in her to understand or convey the romantic urgency lurking in an older soul.

Coppola famously wrote the screenplay for Lost in Translation in response to her own experiences living and working in Tokyo after dropping out of university in her early 20s; she settled on the Park Hyatt Tokyo as a setting after using it as a home base to promote her feature debut, The Virgin Suicides . That film’s dreamy, suburban enigma premiered in Cannes in 1999 and ultimately outclassed Sam Mendes’s similarly themed—and Oscar-winning— American Beauty ; in lieu of an overbearing statement about a broken, perverse boomer generation, The Virgin Suicides used a small-scale tragedy to suggest more elusive mysteries about youth, gender, and female solidarity. Coppola deserved—and got—plenty of credit for translating Jeffrey Eugenides’s source novel to the screen, but the fact that Lost in Translation was created from scratch meant that she was playing for higher stakes, auteur-wise. While the film was mostly well reviewed en route to a set of major Oscar nominations, any criticisms that it romanticized its protagonists’ luxury-class solipsism necessarily returned to Coppola—as did concerns about the 30-year age gap between the characters and critiques of the racist depiction of Japanese characters and culture.

Such criticisms were in evidence in 2003 but not in the foreground of the movie’s reception; as film culture has shifted and diversified in the ensuing decades, so have the lenses for sociological analysis. Considering that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza was recently raked over the coals for pairing a 25-year-old woman with a high school teen, the gulf between Bob and Charlotte would seem like a hanging offense—except that the reluctance (verging on impossibility) to ever consummate their relationship is where Lost in Translation locates its vibrating melancholy. What cuts like a double-edged sword is the feeling that Bob and Charlotte are meeting at exactly the wrong time as potential lovers and exactly the right time as soulmates. The question of whether they really have to choose is pressurized on all sides by the feelings of others, and by the conventions of Hollywood movies, which Coppola happily toys with but refuses to be ruled by (a scene where Charlotte gets jealous and petulant about Bob’s one-night stand with a lounge singer is perfectly calibrated for cringiness in all directions).

The matter of the film’s racism is more troubling, and it leaves less room for interpretation. In 2017, after Coppola’s polarizing remake of the Civil War–era thriller The Beguiled bowed at Cannes, MTV revisited Lost in Translation as “an insufferable, racist mess,” and in 2021, The Stanford Daily ’s Nadia Jo inventoried the film’s “egregious” offenses , starting with how it forced viewers to “adopt the white gaze and look down on another race.” For detractors, most of Coppola’s representational choices were not only questionable, but also insidious in how cozily they flattered the perspectives and prejudices of the liberal metropolitan audience that helped make the movie an art-house hit (with over $100 million in receipts against a tiny $4 million budget). Certainly, the scene where a bewildered Bob is exhorted to “lip” the stockings of a playacting call girl feels uncomfortable, though the case can be made that the joke is more complex than it seems and that it plays up the absurdity of such exoticized stereotypes. Elsewhere, though, the ethnic gags do seem to be at the expense of the locals—specifically, how their gestures of hospitality metastasize into annoyance for newcomers. But even this is tricky: The best argument that Lost in Translation is trying to be a movie about culture shock instead of using culture shock to score easy points comes in an early scene in which Charlotte visits a temple and watches a ritual in silence. Later, on a phone call back to the U.S., she’s heartbroken—and almost furious—that it meant nothing to her. Where she had hoped to be moved, she was merely confused; you can travel to the other side of the world, but you can’t outrun your own insecurity.

It’s telling that while Murray was roundly (and rightly) celebrated for his performance, viewers and critics were less sure of what to make of Johansson, whose role is more slippery, starting with our awareness of her as a surrogate for Coppola. Charlotte is very much a stereotype—a poor little rich girl on the verge of adulthood, looking for means of self-actualization—and Johansson has one of the great thousand-yard stares, connoting not stupidity but something more refined, the self-hypnosis of somebody coming to terms with what it’s like to live in their own head. During one of her late-night chats with Bob, she jokes about her abortive attempts at expressing herself through writing and photography, noting such ambitions don’t make her special; given Coppola’s obvious gifts, such gripes could be taken as disingenuous, although the even-keeled nature of Bob’s responses keeps the self-pity from congealing too thickly.

Had Lost in Translation been made 10 years later, Charlotte’s glassy-eyed ennui would probably have been expressed very differently—perhaps via social media updates—and she definitely would have been shown scrolling on her phone at some point. The technology in Lost in Translation is dated—fax machines and flip phones, plus key plot points delivered into answering machines—but the visual and tonal vocabulary looks retrospectively ahead of its time: There’s something palpably proto-Instagram-ish about some of Coppola’s compositions, a by-product of her aforementioned curatorial sensibility. Even more than wealth, what those steel-and-glass hotel interiors convey is a feeling of being on display at all times, whether one wants to be or not.

The defiant ambiguity of the film’s opening shot , which frames the then-17-year-old actor’s pantie-clad posterior like a still life—or, given the setting, maybe an Ozu-ian pillow shot—remains difficult to decode, especially in light of its subject’s subsequent evolution into a sexual icon; a decade later, Jonathan Glazer would shadow Johansson through Scotland with a set of hidden cameras for Under the Skin , changing the focus from the beauty of alienation to a literal alien invasion. Perhaps Coppola was just trying to get the obvious out in the open—to acknowledge the collective desire to leer at her star and throw it back in our faces before the movie had even really begun. After all, such self-reflexive gestures are very much a part of Coppola’s arsenal: Consider that the director credit for 2013’s The Bling Ring features her name on-screen next to a bespoke necklace whose lettering spells out “rich bitch” in hot pink, a nice way of prodding the misogyny that would ask her to constantly check her privilege as Hollywood royalty in a different way than, say, Jason Reitman.

Coppola has been cagey about the extent to which Lost in Translation is not just autobiographical, but nakedly personal: It’s obvious from the jump that Charlotte’s photographer husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi), is a doppelgänger for Coppola’s then-partner, Spike Jonze, and also that Anna Faris’s waylaid starlet, Kelly, is a stand-in for Jonze’s Being John Malkovich star Cameron Diaz. (In 2014, Diaz supposedly “forgave” Coppola for her depiction in the film, although all parties have officially denied any friction; meanwhile, Coppola admitted this year that she still hasn’t seen Jonze’s 2013 sci-fi comedy Her , which featured Rooney Mara as a character who may or may not be modeled after her.) Whatever its genesis, Faris’s hilarious portrait of bubbly party-girl extroversion—including, in a nice bit of mirroring, a bit of karaoke—might seem ungenerous except that we’re clearly seeing her through Charlotte’s jaded, suspicious eyes. If Coppola was airing grievances, she was doing so obliquely. And beyond the film’s obviously accomplished craft—including and especially Lance Acord’s shimmering, color-coded cinematography—the main reason Lost in Translation endures is because of all the things it doesn’t actually come out and say: the way it drags certain tight-lipped 20th-century art-cinema traditions into our overemphatic present tense and lets them (not) speak for themselves.

Exhibit A, of course, is the film’s final sequence, in which Bob and Charlotte embrace in the middle of a crowded street and share a hushed—which is to say inaudible—goodbye. Over the years, plenty of people and publications have tried to answer the question of what Murray whispered in Johansson’s ear, whether by lip-reading or through behind-the-scenes intel. Theories range from a declaration of true love to a goofy non sequitur; the rumor has always been that Murray mixed the word up between takes and that whatever it was, the impact was heightened by the fact that the scene was a genuine farewell for the actors as well, coming at the end of a long and grueling shoot away from home. But to return to Meatballs , it just doesn’t matter: Coppola’s intention was to punctuate her millennial riff on Brief Encounter with a question mark, so she did. That this deceptively airy movie is substantial enough to support any number of interpretations without being defined or undone by them is its legacy as much as, and hopefully more than, the problems that may come with being the rare contemporary American movie with a long shelf life. We’ll never know what Bob said to Charlotte. Which is why we’ll always want to.

Adam Nayman is a film critic, teacher, and author based in Toronto; his book The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together is available now from Abrams.

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‘Lost In Translation’ – Film Review and Analysis

One of the great films of the 2000’s, Lost In Translation is a film that is often underrated but which deserves a lot of praise and acclamation. Directed and produced by Sofia Coppola, daughter of the highly acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola, Lost In Translation is the story of two Americans of different ages who are visiting Japan for different reasons but who are struggling with similar existential crises.

Bob Harris, played by the wonderful Bill Murray, is an aging actor and movie star from Hollywood who is struggling with a mid-life crisis. He comes to Tokyo to film whiskey commercials and appear on some popular Japanese talk shows. In one of her first roles on film, the talented Scarlett Johansson plays Charlotte, a young college graduate from Yale, who is struggling to figure out what she wants to do in her life.

While Bob and Charlotte come from different backgrounds and are of different ages, they are both struggling with adult concerns such as marriage, work, and the search for overall meaning. Bob has been married for twenty-five years whereas Charlotte has only been marries for two years. While they are at different stages in their marriages, both of them have doubts about being or staying with their partners. In addition, once they meet each other in the hotel lounge for the first time, they are drawn to each other’s personality, humor, and the fact that they are adjusting to Japanese culture for the first time.

One of the best things about Lost In Translation is the way Tokyo, Japan becomes a character in the film. The city is a sprawling metropolis with a population of over twenty million people that seems to go on forever. Since Charlotte’s husband is a director and is busy shooting for a new film and Bob’s wife is five thousand miles away, they both find time to explore and immerse themselves in the bright lights and diverse sounds of Tokyo.

The most illustrative scenes in describing the developing relationship of Bob and Charlotte take place in the karaoke bars and the hibachi restaurants where they try to adapt to the culture shock and the persistent jet-lag together. Despite being married, they feel alone and unhappy in their relationships for different reasons.

They take solace and comfort in each other’s company as they navigate the intricacies of Japanese language and culture. They start off as complete strangers in the hotel bar but then become friends over the course of their stay. Bob also acts as a life mentor to Charlotte who is in her early 20’s by giving her lessons on life, marriage, and what it’s like to have children. Bill Murray’s character comes across as someone who’s halfway through life and is honest to Charlotte about the ups’ and downs’ of it all.

Charlotte’s youth and curiosity about the world helps to change Bob too as he rediscovers the joys and thrills of being care-free and being able to laugh with someone who puts no pressure on him. After appearing on cheesy talk shows and doing uninspiring whiskey commercials, Bob is able to have fun and enjoy himself around Charlotte. From the one-sided phone conversations you hear from Bob and his wife back in Los Angeles, neither of them seem happy or fulfilled about their marriage. I don’t want to spoil the ending for those of you who haven’t watched the film but it is possible that Bob and Charlotte will find romance or love when they least expected it to happen.

I have to admit that the first time I saw Lost In Translation , it made me really want to visit Japan. The nightlife and crowded streets of Tokyo interest me quite a bit. I was also intrigued by a scene from the movie that was set in Kyoto, where Charlotte takes a high-speed train to the city to see the Shinto temples and the beautiful cherry blossoms. The cinematography and settings of the film are very moving and beautiful. Lost In Translation has a reputation of being a serious and deep film with little humor mixed in.

However, I would disagree with this assessment because there are a lot of scenes of light-hearted humor especially when Bob Harris, Bill Murray’s character is on the set for a Japanese commercial. Many things are ‘lost in translation’ as he looks for guidance and help from his translator but she never gives him the full story of what the Japanese director wants. There are other humorous scenes where Bob appears as a guest on a goofy talk show with a quirky host. Another classic moment is when a Japanese escort is sent to Bob’s hotel room and asks Mr. Bob Harris to “lip her stockings.” It’s a subtle English faux pas but I found it hilarious the first time I watched it.

Two strangers who meet in a hotel bar and get to know each other over a drink is not a new movie concept. However, the relationship that develops after that chance meeting is what makes Lost In Translation a great film. The on-screen chemistry between the two great actors, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson also draws the viewers in to the plot. There can be few other cities as magical, crazy, and hypnotizing as modern Tokyo.

The neon lights, huge skyscrapers, and hoards of people make it a unique setting, which is rarely used in Hollywood films. Lost In Translation isn’t your typical romance movie and it doesn’t have a clear-cut ending. What it does offer the viewer are the special moments of two lost souls making a deep connection with each other in a foreign city, and enjoying those experiences during the short time that they have together.

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The Cine Chat

Lost in Translation: A Soul’s Search | Movie Review

Lost in translation: a soul's search, movie review | a journey of love, isolation, and cultural exploration.

Oscar Winner for Best Screenplay 2004, the movie Lost in Translation, is an exciting yet influential cinematic masterpiece directed by Sofia Coppola that went beyond conventional storytelling. Released in 2003, this film is still very much a classic piece. Though with mixed reviews and emotions, the movie takes viewers through the bustling streets and life of Tokyo where it explores the complexities of human connection, cultural disorientation, and the ethical boundaries of relationships.

IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.7/10

Overall the movie is a dazzling watch and here are some of my favourite points:

Exploring the Lives of Lost Souls

The movie circles around two lost souls, Bob Harris (played by Bill Murray) and Charlotte (played by Scarlett Johansson). With several layers and depth to their characters, both find themselves lost in the sea of Japanese metropolitan culture while dealing with their situations. 

As Bob and Charlotte navigate the neon-lit labyrinth of Tokyo, the movie effortlessly captures their isolation and disconnection. Which is something that is often experienced when someone travels to a foreign land. In addition, the movie has also addressed the innate sense of alienation that both characters feel.

An Unexpected Intersection

Bob, a weary actor burdened by corporate obligations and marital issues, and Charlotte, a newly-wed fiancée left to her own world while her husband is away at work, share a profound connection. Their parallel journeys culminate in the film’s fitting title, “Lost in Translation.” 

For a fleeting moment, their unique pathways intersect, forging a bond that leaves an indelible mark on their lives. As viewers, we are drawn into this experiential journey, from the glitzy glamour of underground karaoke bars to the tranquil warmth of the hotel bar, their symbolic “where we first met” place.

Unforgettable Moments

Within the budding and undefinable friendship between Bob and Charlotte, the movie presents impactful and heart-touching moments that resonate deeply. Whether it’s a post-night-out hotpot meal, the quiet end of a night at the karaoke bar, the sleepy interludes in the hotel room, or the composed conversations at the hotel bar table, these scenes become cherished memories. 

Sofia Coppola’s direction adds a unique atmosphere, vibe, and feeling, immersing the audience through nostalgic visuals and dazzling cinematography. Fortunately, this has resulted in an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Exploring Cultural Perspectives

“Lost in Translation” sparked debates on the portrayal of Japan. Critics questioned whether the film showcases stereotypes or offers an authentic and realistic glimpse into the complexities of Japanese society. 

Some argue that although cultural clichés are occasionally used for comedic effect, the movie plot can also be seen as an exploration of the foreigner’s perspective. While the theme of feeling out of place in an unfamiliar environment continues throughout. 

Ethical Boundaries and Human Connection

Another point of debate for “Lost in Translation” was the relationship between Bob and Charlotte. Bob, a middle-aged actor, and Charlotte, a young woman grappling with her own uncertainties, share an intimate and emotionally charged connection born out of shared loneliness. 

The movie raises questions about the ethics of their relationship, taking into account their marital status and the age gap between them. Yet, instead of providing quick and easy answers, “Lost in Translation” invites viewers to question societal norms and feel the complexities of human emotions.

A Catalyst for Meaningful Conversations

“Lost in Translation” goes beyond being just a movie; it serves as a catalyst for meaningful conversations. It encourages the exploration of themes such as cultural sensitivity and ethical relationships, reminding us that genuine connections often emerge from unexpected places. 

Whether interpreting the film as a portrayal of Japan or a meditation on human connection, one thing remains certain; it leaves an indelible mark on the soul. The movie invites viewers to understand what’s usually lost in translation, that’s the enigmatic beauty of this cinematic experience. 

It’s A Wrap!

“Lost in Translation” is a gem that takes viewers on an impactful journey of self-discovery, cultural exploration, relationships, and human connection. 

Sofia Coppola’s masterful direction, combined with outstanding performances by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, created an immersive experience that still lingers in the mind long after the movie rolled. 

This film challenged us to reflect on the boundaries of human connection and the intricate nature of emotions, making it a must-watch for those seeking a thought-provoking and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Feel free to drop a comment below and let me know if you’d like me to review another classic, timeless, or recently released movie. I value your feedback, plus I’m always excited to explore and share my thoughts on captivating films, right here on Cine Chat . 

Share your movie suggestions and let’s enjoy this cinematic journey together!

Ojas is the founder and content director here at The Cine Chat. Check out more about him and his works by clicking ‘About Us’!

To the Daily: Lost in Translation is not a racist movie

Last week, the Stanford Daily published a movie review that criticizes the 2003 film Lost in Translation for “reinforcing a racist worldview” and “contributing to systemic racism.”

Lost in Translation , directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson, is a story about two Americans who visit Tokyo and bond over their shared culture shock and awkward experiences with the native Japanese population. The film garnered four Academy Award and five Golden Globe nominations, becoming one of the most critically acclaimed films of the early 2000s.

I’m Asian-American, and I’ve seen plenty of Hollywood movies. Lost in Translation is one of my favorites , and I was surprised to find it branded “racist” and “belittling of Asian culture”.

The author accuses the film and its director of several racist missteps, one of which is the film's depiction of native Japanese characters. According to the author, “Coppola clearly wants viewers to side with the ‘normal’ white protagonists'' and “think of the Japanese characters as strange.”

What’s strange is that the author presumes to know what Coppola hoped to achieve with the film. Getting inside a director’s head to brand them racist is truly comical, and the author does this multiple times through the article, going so far as to accuse Coppola of having a “racist narrative design.”  

The author points out that in the film, native Japanese men “frequently shout, dance, and use unnatural vocal inflections” and “read explicit manga on subways and play loud arcade games.” She interprets this to mean that “Asians are the butt of the joke.” It’s unclear what the joke actually is. How is the presence of explicit manga on subways racist? As for the loud arcade games, Japan, like many other East Asian nations, has a strong video game culture. Depicting this is not racism.

And when the author refers to the native Japanese and their “unnatural vocal inflections” and “switching of Rs and Ls”, I think she is referring to an accent, which almost every non-native English speaker has. My parents are immigrants and they speak English with an accent. I don’t think it’s “unnatural.” On the contrary, if a movie set in a foreign country didn’t feature natives speaking English with an accent, I’d consider that to be whitewashing.

The author then hones in on the racism of “the [American] characters’ frustration with English-speaking Japanese characters”, citing a few scenes in the movie where Bill Murray becomes confused and upset when he struggles to communicate with the native Japanese. The author connects this to “a larger trend of non-native English speakers taking on painstaking burdens to learn English, while Americans remain ignorant of or dismissive towards how the rest of the world caters to them.”

Newsflash: English is recognized as an official language in 67 countries -- and fun fact: the US isn’t one of them!  For better or worse, it’s the global lingua franca. People in the rest of the world aren’t catering to Americans with their painstaking attempts to learn English - they’re simply following a global convention.

The author concludes her analysis with a series of bold claims about what the film actually represents, such as “the world is the white American’s oyster”, “white Americans are the only ones who think and feel interesting things”, and “ Lost in Translation disguises its racist underpinnings by parading as a movie about loneliness and unlikely connections.”

That last claim is especially absurd. Once again, the author attempts to get inside the director’s head, this time to argue that the entire storyline of the movie is a farce and it is instead a racist trojan horse. In reality, Sofia Coppola made the movie because she had spent time in Tokyo, grew fond of the city, and wanted to capture her personal experiences. That sounds like quite the racist mastermind.

Even some native Japanese film critics dismissed the notion that Lost in Translation perpetuates a racist view of Japan. Yasuhisa Hirada addressed the accusations of racism surrounding the movie in his review, writing that “In the United States, some people were concerned that the film might appear as anti-Japanese. Despite that fact, the film neither tries to dissolute Tokyo nor investigates it; the peculiarity and wonder of the city is accurately reflected… Above all, there is wonderful humor and breath-taking acting from Bill Murray. We are not so narrow-minded to criticize such a great film.”

“Narrow-minded” is the right phrase to describe those who needlessly attach the label of racism to perfectly innocuous films. Hollywood does have a history of stereotyping Asian-Americans;  films such as The Mask of Fu Manchu and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom exaggerated certain physical features of their Asian characters. But Lost in Translation is not such a film - it’s a film about individuals who encounter an unfamiliar environment abroad and respond with frustration and genuine confusion. Anyone who’s traveled internationally, white or not, has experienced that.

If we keep judging every piece of art through today’s unreasonably woke standards, we are going to miss out on the great deal of artistic and cinematic diversity that the past has given us. So, if you haven’t seen Lost in Translation, I’d highly recommend watching it. You can decide for yourself whether it’s “low-effort and discriminatory.” But my guess is you won’t.

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Immersive Soundtracks That Define Cinematic Moments

Posted: April 12, 2024 | Last updated: April 12, 2024

"Where Is My Mind?" - Fight Club

In the dark recesses of the theater, where celluloid dreams unfold and narratives unfurl, there exists a magical moment: the needle drop. It's that sublime instant when the right song finds its way into a scene, transforming mere images into an indelible cinematic experience. A beat, a chord, a haunting melody—we've all felt the exhilaration when music and film collide in perfect harmony. It's where storytelling transcends its boundaries and becomes something more profound, more visceral, more alive.

Join us on a melodic journey through some of our favorite needle drop moments in film history, where we celebrate those musical rendezvous that make the movies sing. Continue reading, for there are cinematic symphonies waiting to be discovered, and this is just the opening act.

Where were you when the Narrator watched the skyscrapers explode as the open guitar strums of "Where Is My Mind?" by The Pixies filled theaters across America?

The lyrics to this song provide one final slap in the face to the audience as the credits begin to roll. Has pain ever felt this good? The final shot of the film hasn't aged well following the events of September 11, 2001, but it's impossible to not feel alive when this all-time classic kicks in.

"Just Like Honey" - Lost In Translation

If Sophia Coppola hadn't used "Just Like Honey" to end Lost In Translation she would have been tried for crimes against humanity. We don't make the rules, we just enforce them.

Don't You (Forget About Me) - The Breakfast Club

When it comes to the art of the needle drop, few moments in cinematic history hit the auditory sweet spot quite like "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds in The Breakfast Club . It's as if John Hughes looked into our collective souls and whispered, "I know you won't forget this moment," and then pressed play. It's an auditory time capsule that encapsulates the essence of the film's message - that these kids, these moments, are unforgettable.

"Judy Is A Punk" - The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson is a maestro of needle drops, and this one is a gem amidst his treasure trove of musical moments. As Margot's complicated love life unfolds in a whirlwind montage this punk anthem by The Ramones propels the film into the stratosphere. In that moment, The Ramones become the guardians of Margot's heart, turning her tumultuous journey into a punk-rock opera of love and longing.

"Dreams" - Chungking Express

"Dreams" by Faye Wong in Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express is the musical equivalent of a cinematic love potion. It's not just a song in a movie; it's the perfect intersection between character and ambiance. Wong's ethereal rendition of The Cranberries' '90s alternative rock gem transports you into a realm where the neon-lit streets of Hong Kong become a symphony of emotions.

With each note, you delve deeper into the hearts of characters who are as lost and yearning as you've ever been. In those moments, "Dreams" doesn't just craft character; it becomes a lullaby for the lonely souls of a bustling metropolis.

"The Sound of Silence" - The Graduate

"The Sound of Silence" in The Graduate isn't just a song; it's a sonic time capsule that encapsulates the disillusionment and uncertainty of a generation. When Benjamin Braddock (played by a young Dustin Hoffman) finds himself adrift in the sea of post-graduation uncertainty, the melancholic strains of Simon & Garfunkel's masterpiece become the anthem of his existential crisis. It's the perfect needle drop because it mirrors Benjamin's internal chaos and the societal upheaval of the 1960s. T

he lyrics, with their haunting refrain of "Hello darkness, my old friend," resonate with anyone who's ever felt lost in the void of adulthood. As the film's camera tracks Benjamin's aimless wanderings, "The Sound of Silence" underscores the emotional void he's navigating. It's not just a song; it's a mirror reflecting the anxieties and uncertainties of youth, making it an indelible part of cinematic history.

"Be My Baby" - Mean Streets

The opening montage of Mean Streets tells you exactly what you're in for. This skewed look at masculinity, life, and death could be a gloomy affair, but Martin Scorsese's use of this Ronnette's classic undercuts the doom and gloom with a sweetness that reminds the audience that there's light even in the dark.

"I Want It That Way" - Magic Mike XXL

In Magic Mike XXL, Joe Manganiello's Richie is on a quest to reclaim his mojo, so when he struts into that gas station like a sexy superhero and the Backstreet Boys hit the soundtrack you know it's ON.

As the familiar chorus fills the airwaves, Richie's gyrations become a dance of desire, a testament to the film's progressive feminist stance. It's a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek moment that celebrates feminine desire and male camaraderie with infectious humor. Richie's friends cheer him on, elevating his bold performance into a triumphant act of self-assurance.

In this scene, "I Want It That Way" becomes more than just a pop hit; it's an anthem of empowerment and a reminder that confidence is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

"Tiny Dancer" Almost Famous

Who hasn't tried to replicate this moment from Cameron Crowe's semi-autobigraphical look at a middling rock band on their breakthrough tour? No matter how you feel about the rest of the movie, try not to sing along when that tour bus full of hungover, exhausted rockstars and their hangers on belt out "Tiny Dancer" as they move on down the highway.

"Mad World" - Donnie Darko

Is there a more perfect song to sum up Donnie Darko than this Tears For Fears banger? If this film's underlying statement is "nothing matters and everything is inevitable" then the song that has this chorus:

And I find it kind of funny I find it kind of sad The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had

is the perfect way to send the audience out of the theater.

"Fight The Power" - Do The Right Thing

Spike Lee knows the power of a good intro, and the opening credits of Do The Right Thing - a montage of Rose Perez dancing set to Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" - is absolutely explosive.

"The Concept" - Young Adult

"The Concept" by Teenage Fanclub in Young Adult is less a song and more of a musical DeLorean that makes you feel like you're behind the wheel of your own past. Charlize Theron, with her shades on and that cassette tape ready to roll, becomes the embodiment of every one of us who ever sought solace in the past. The opening wall of feedback is a sonic reminder that sometimes the past is the only place that makes sense.

In that car, as Norman Blake croons about a girl in denim, you're not just watching a film; you're living the past alongside Theron. It's a perfect needle drop that encapsulates the film's theme – the bittersweet yearning for what was and what might have been.

"Tequila" - Pee Wee's Big Adventure

The sound of the topsy-turvy world of Pee Wee's Big Adventure is built by Danny Elfman, so when an actual pop song worms its way into the film it makes perfect sense that it's the weirdo novelty song "Tequila." It's hard to imagine this scene being so good without this wacky little song.

"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" - Jackie Brown

Quentin Tarantino is a master of placing the perfect pop song at the perfect moment in a film, but he really outdid himself in Jackie Brown . Every song adds nuance to the scene in which its heard, and this killer track by The Delfonics makes us want to fall in love all over again.

"Red Right Hand" - Scream

"Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave in the "Scream" series is like the sinister theme music for our favorite slasher franchise. From the very first scream to the final twist, this song serves as an auditory harbinger of dread. Its haunting melody and Cave's gravelly vocals create an atmosphere of impending doom that's as iconic as the franchise itself. It's a musical motif that reminds us that horror can be both chilling and stylish, a perfect accompaniment to the cat-and-mouse game between Ghostface and the victims. The fact that it has been a recurring presence in the series, except for one film, only adds to its mystique. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, you can't help but feel a shiver down your spine when "Red Right Hand" kicks in.

"Love My Way" - Call Me By Your Name

You know, some needle drops are like expertly crafted cocktails - they hit you with a precise mix of flavors, and you savor every drop. And then, there's "Love My Way." It's like Luca Guadagnino knew that Psychedelic Furs had penned the anthem of every coming-of-age moment ever. The synths, the lyrics, the ethereal vibes – it's all there. And to make it all the better there's Armie Hammer in the background of the scene dancing a goofy little dance that we'll never forget.

“Blue Moon” - An American Werewolf in London

John Landis' An American Werewolf in London is horror classic and a tonal masterpiece that juggles comedy, drama, and horror seemingly with ease. The final moments of the film, when Alex calms the wolfed out David right before he's riddled with bullets, turns into a sharp gut punch as the screen cuts to black and "Blue Moon" ironically plays over the credits.

"The End" - Apocalypse Now

"The End" by The Doors in Apocalypse Now is like a sonic vortex that spirals you headlong into the abyss of war-torn Vietnam. More than four decades since its release, that opening sequence still sends shivers down spines. 

The eerie, delirious vocals and the brooding, psychedelic instrumentals of Jim Morrison and company, they cast a spell that's equal parts hypnotic and haunting. It's like director Francis Ford Coppola took the counterculture's disillusionment with the world and distilled it into a song. "The End" captures the zeitgeist of a nation grappling with its own darkness, both at home and abroad.

"Mr. Sandman" - Halloween 2

"Mr. Sandman" by The Chordettes in Halloween 2 is like a deliciously ironic musical cherry on top of a blood-soaked horror sundae. As Laurie Strode is being wheeled into an ambulance, the fog rolls in, and you're catching your breath from the relentless terror, this sweet, nostalgic tune begins to play.

It's the ultimate sly wink at the audience, a reminder that, yes, you've just survived a cinematic nightmare, and now you can have a little dessert. The juxtaposition of the innocent '50s doo-wop against the backdrop of Michael Myers' relentless rampage is pure genius.

"Just Like Heaven" - Adeventureland

Picture this: It's 1987, and young love is in the air. James and Em, two star-crossed souls navigating the wild terrain of an amusement park, find themselves on a bumper car ride. And then it happens - the sweet, shimmering chords of "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure fill the air. It's not just a needle drop; it's a time machine that transports you straight back to the '80s, with all the wistful nostalgia and adolescent yearning intact. The song captures the essence of their budding romance, as Robert Smith's voice croons about a love that's, well, just like heaven. It's not just one of the best movie songs of the 2010s; it's an anthem that transcends time, proving that even in the neon-soaked '80s, love was universal and The Cure's melodies were the soundtrack to our hearts.

"Rhythm of the Night" - Beau Travail

Let's talk about the cinematic sorcery of "Rhythm of the Night" by Corona in Claire Denis' Beau Travail . In the scene Denis Lavant, decked out in black, unleashes a dance of sheer ecstasy. It's like a secret, a revelation, and a catharsis all rolled into one. The pulsating beats of this '90s club hit suddenly turn the film's solemnity on its head, catapulting it into the realm of the sublimely surreal.

Denis weaves the cheesy Italian techno-disco anthem into an intricate tapestry of repressed desires finally finding their unapologetic form. It's a cinematic metamorphosis, a moment when the boundaries of storytelling blur, and the music becomes a character in itself. In the hands of Claire Denis, "Rhythm of the Night" becomes more than just a needle drop; it's the heartbeat of the film, the pulse of repressed passions, and a declaration that in the world of cinema, even the cheesiest tunes can morph into vessels of profound expression.

"Free Bird" - The Devil's Rejects

After a relentless hour and a half of grindhouse madness, Rob Zombie unleashes Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern rock anthem as the blood-soaked Firefly family races towards an apocalyptic showdown. It's a symphony of chaos and sentimentality, a reminder that even the most monstrous villains can make your heart skip a beat.

As the police close in, and Skynyrd's verses fill the air with heartache, you can't help but feel a twisted empathy for these carnival-of-horror anti-heroes. And just when Allen Collins' righteous guitar solo takes flight, "Free Bird" is abruptly silenced by the sound of gunfire. It's a perfect needle drop that leaves you with the taste of freedom, even in the face of doom.

"Dry the Rain" - High Fidelity

"Dry the Rain" by The Beta Band in High Fidelity is like that perfect mixtape you made for your soulmate, but it's also so much more. Picture John Cusack's Rob Gordon, the ultimate music aficionado, standing in his record shop, announcing his intention to sell not one, not two, but five copies of The Three EPs by The Beta Band by spinning "Dry the Rain." It's a moment that hits you right in the feels because it's the universal truth of music lovers – those serendipitous encounters with songs that feel like they were written just for you. What's brilliant here is the choice of a specific section of the song – that anthemic, bass- and horns-driven coda.

This moment isn't just about the song, it's about that transformative moment when music becomes the soundtrack to our lives, revealing truths we never knew we needed.

"Goodbye Horses" - The Silence of the Lambs

"Goodbye Horses" in The Silence of the Lambs is that audacious needle drop that makes you question your own sanity while admiring its brilliance. When Buffalo Bill, the creepiest villain in cinematic history, starts shimmying in front of a mirror, you'd think you've wandered into a David Lynch nightmare. But then, the haunting, ethereal notes of Q Lazzarus's song slither in, turning this grotesque scene into a surreal ballet of darkness.

"Born Slippy" - Trainspotting

When "Born Slippy" hits in the finale of Trainspotting it's a thunderclap hat heralds the storm of '90s rebellion. In a film overflowing with earth-shattering needle drops, this one stands tall as the Scottish anthem of hedonistic defiance. As Ewan McGregor's Renton makes off with a big bag of cash, stolen from his closest frenemies no less, you can't help but pump your fist to the beat as the credits roll.

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Zodiac

David Fincher's Zodiac could have taken viewers inside the twisted mind of the unknown killer who terrified California in the latter years of the 1960s, but the director smartly focuses on the madness that a hunt like this can cause.

When Fincher does veer into horror territory he does it with style. The use of "Hurdy Gurdy Man" when his anonymous killer is making moves only adds to the unsettling nature of this film. 

"Jessie's Girl" - Boogie Nights

"Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield in "Boogie Nights" is the groovy backdrop to chaos, the disco inferno that ignites a drug deal gone delightfully wrong. Alfred Molina's manic air-drumming to this pop gem is like a bizarre prelude to the impending madness. As the catchy beats of "Jessie's Girl" fill the room, you can't help but groove along with a surreal sense of impending doom. It's a perfect needle drop that encapsulates the film's rollercoaster of decadence and despair. As Dirk Diggler watches in wide-eyed horror, you realize that sometimes the most unforgettable moments happen when the music clashes with the mayhem.

"I Got You Babe" - Groundhog Day

"I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher in Groundhog Day is a cosmic joke in the form of an alarm clock. The scenes where Bill Murray's Phil Connors wakes up to the song over and over and over again are both maddening and hilarious. You can't help but want to take a sledgehammer to that alarm clock by the third time you hear the song.

"Under Pressure" - Grosse Pointe Blank

"Under Pressure" by David Bowie and Queen plays like the sonic reflection of Martin Q. Blank's existential crisis in Grosse Pointe Blank . As he sits there at his high school reunion, holding a newborn and caught in a whirlwind of nostalgia and introspection, the song's iconic bassline kicks in like a heartbeat of uncertainty.

Bowie and Mercury's powerful vocals echo the emotional weight of the scene, mirroring Martin's inner turmoil. The lyrics, "Can't we give ourselves one more chance?" become a poignant plea for redemption, a question that lingers in the air as Martin grapples with his past and his future.

"The Sprout and the Bean" - The Strangers

As Liv Tyler's character, Kristen McKay, frantically navigates the maze of her remote vacation home, the hauntingly eerie melody echoes her escalating dread. It's a perfect needle drop because it amplifies the tension to unbearable levels. The repetitive skips on the vinyl record feel like a warped reflection of Kristen's futile attempts to escape the relentless masked strangers outside.

Newsom's ethereal voice and poetic lyrics are turned into a dissonant symphony of terror thanks to the non-stop skipping of the LP. In this pivotal scene, the music isn't just a backdrop; it's a character in its own right, wrapping us in a chilling embrace that refuses to let go.

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‘Fallout’: How to Succeed in the Postapocalypse Without Really Trying

By Alan Sepinwall

Alan Sepinwall

When The Last of Us debuted early in 2023, I began my rave review by saying, “Among the many compliments I can give HBO’s The Last of Us is that it eventually made me forget that it’s based on a video game.” Some gamers took this as both a backhanded compliment for the show and a blanket dismissal of the artistry of video games . But the point I argued then, and would argue now, is that the demands of an interactive game are fundamentally different from the demands of a narrative controlled only by the storytellers, and that nearly every video game translation prior to Last of Us struggled mightily to make elements of the former work well as the latter.

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But if it’s one thing to work as a TV show, it’s another to work as a good TV show, and this standard proves tougher for Fallout to attain. It has some fun components, and the great Walton Goggins ( Justified , The Righteous Gemstones ) delivers as usual in a dual-ish role. But a lot of it feels like it’s trying way too hard to grab your attention, all while so many of its ideas are recycled not from video games, but from other, more interesting post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows.

The series actually opens in a fashion that very much suggests something along the lines of The Last of Us . We are in a retro-future version of California, where all the fashions are out of the Fifties, while the technology is beyond anything we have today. B-movie Western star Cooper Howard (Goggins) is entertaining the kids at a birthday party, while all the adults are panicking about reports of impending nuclear war. When a mushroom cloud rises up in the distance, Cooper grabs his daughter, and they race off on the back of his trusted horse, in search of a safe place to hide. 

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Among those groups are the Brotherhood of Steel, a religious army that models itself on the knights of the Crusades, only here the knights wear mech suits, while the squires — including Maximus (Aaron Moten) — struggle to keep up toting bags of heavy weaponry. And then there are the ghouls, who exist somewhere on a continuum between human and zombie, depending on how long it’s been since the poisoned environment made them that way, and how much medicine they’ve been able to scrounge. In fact, Cooper Howard is still alive two centuries later, sort of, and he — now dressed and behaving like one of the ruthless bandits that his movie alter egos used to fight — is simply known as “the Ghoul.” 

There are vault dwellers, ghouls, and knights in the games, but these three characters — plus supporting figures like Lucy’s father Hank ( Kyle MacLachlan ), Maximus’ rival Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton), and the mysterious Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) — are largely inventions of the show, with varying degrees of success. 

Goggins is in the pocket as the Ghoul, commanding the screen and making a meal out of lines like, “Well, well, well. Why, is this an Amish production of The Count of Monte Cristo , or the weirdest circle jerk I’ve ever been invited to?” And as Cooper, he adds some necessary emotion to flashbacks that are otherwise primarily concerned with filling in backstory. Maximus, on the other hand, is mostly bland and forgettable, until a couple of episodes late in the season lean more into comedy with him. Many of the actors who appear in cameos, like Michael Emerson, Chris Parnell, or Matt Berry (who provides the voice of a robot, like he did on The Book of Boba Fett , but with actual jokes this time), make a bigger impression than several more prominent regular characters. 

And speaking of that clash of worldviews, find someone who loves you like this show loves to ironically juxtapose scenes of despair or stylized, gory violence with upbeat or wistful Forties and Fifties pop songs. The premiere’s big action set piece plays out to the sounds of “Some Enchanted Evening,” while a later episode alone features Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons,”  The Platters’ “Only You,” and Dinah Washington’s “What A Diff’rence A Day Makes” — all great songs, but ones that are probably due for retirement from all soundtracks, and particularly from this type of usage. The songs, and many of the performances, signal that the series is meant to be a satiric adventure. More often than not, though, it’s as if the creative team was able to settle on a comedic tone without coming up with nearly enough jokes to match.   

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The Last of Us could have been similarly hamstrung, of course, since so much of its world echoes The Walking Dead . It was just made with such craft that the similarities didn’t matter. It’s no more fair to hold Fallout to that standard than it is to compare every single new cop drama to, say, The Wire , of course. But even if Last of Us didn’t exist, Fallout would still feel like an arch and overly-familiar series, with enough interesting performances and background details to keep it from being a waste of time, but not enough spark of its own to be fully satisfying. Though maybe fans of the game will feel differently.

All eight episodes of Fallout begin streaming April 11 on Amazon Prime Video . I’ve seen the whole season.

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Movie Reviews

'la chimera' is marvelous — right up to its most magical ending.

Justin Chang

Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in La Chimera . Neon hide caption

Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in La Chimera .

The wonderful 42-year-old filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher practices a kind of cinema that I've come to think of as "Italian magical neorealism." She gives us portraits of hard-scrabble lives in poor rural communities, but they're graced by a whimsical, almost fable-like sense of enchantment.

Rohrwacher's 2014 film, The Wonders , was a lyrical drama about a family of Tuscan beekeepers. She followed that in 2018 with Happy as Lazzaro , about a group of sharecroppers on a tobacco farm whose story moves from picaresque comedy to aching tragedy.

'The Wonders' Of Family And Change

Her marvelous new movie, La Chimera , follows in much the same vein, with one key difference. While Rohrwacher has generally worked with non-professional Italian actors, this time she's cast the English actor Josh O'Connor , best known for his Emmy-winning performance as a young Prince Charles on The Crown .

But O'Connor's character here doesn't give off even a whiff of royalty, even if his name is Arthur. When we first meet him, he's asleep on a train bound for his old stomping grounds in Tuscany. He's just been released from prison after serving some time for the crime of grave robbing.

Arthur has a mysterious archeological talent: Wielding a divining rod, he can detect the presence of buried artifacts, many of which date back to the Etruscan civilization more than 2,000 years ago. Arthur works with a group of tombaroli , or tomb raiders, who rely on him to figure out where to dig.

Upon his return, many of those old friends welcome him back with a parade — one of several moments in which Rohrwacher briefly channels the vibrant human chaos of a Fellini film. Arthur is a little reluctant to rejoin his old gang, since they let him take the rap after their last job. But he doesn't seem to have anything else to do, or anywhere else to go. He may be an outsider — his Italian throughout is decent but far from perfect — but it's the only place in the world that feels remotely like home. And O'Connor plays him with such a deep sense of melancholy that it feels almost special when his handsome, careworn face breaks into a warm smile.

It's not immediately clear what Arthur wants; unlike his cohorts, he doesn't seem all that interested in making money off their spoils. The answer turns out to lie in his dreams, which are haunted by a beautiful young woman named Beniamina — the love of his life, whom he's lost under unclear circumstances.

And so Arthur's determination to go underground becomes a metaphor for his longing for an irretrievable past: Beniamina is the Eurydice to his Orpheus, and he wants her back desperately.

Arthur is still close to Beniamina's mother, Flora, played with a wondrous mix of warmth and imperiousness by the great Isabella Rossellini. Her presence here made me think of her filmmaker father, the neorealist titan Roberto Rossellini — a fitting association for a movie about how the past is forever seeping into the present.

One of the pleasures of Rohrwacher's filmmaking is the way she subtly blurs our sense of time. La Chimera is set in the 1980s, but it could be taking place 20 years earlier, or 20 years later. Rohrwacher and her brilliant cinematographer, Hélène Louvart, shot the movie on a mix of film stocks and sometimes tweak the image in ways that evoke the cinematic antiquities of the silent era. As sorrowful as Arthur's journey is, there's a playfulness to Rohrwacher's sensibility that keeps pulling you in, inviting you to get lost in the movie's mysteries.

One of the story's most significant characters is Italia, played by the Brazilian actor Carol Duarte, who works in Flora's household. Italia is a bit of an odd duck with a beguiling bluntness about her, and she might be just the one to pull Arthur out of his slump and get him to stop living in the past.

I won't give away what happens, except to say that La Chimera builds to not one but two thrilling scenes of underground exploration, in which Arthur must finally figure out his life's purpose — not by using a divining rod, but by following his heart. And it leads to the most magical movie ending I've seen in some time, and also the most real.