"Sofia Coppola's stealthy romance about two Americans stranded in Tokyo is a work of marvelous delicacy -- and offers the performance of Bill Murray's career." Stephanie Zacharek SALON.COM "Lost in Translation is a fortunate encounter between a young talent on the rise and an old pro still hitting his stride." Chris Vognar DALLAS MORNING NEWS "Tart and sweet, unmistakably funny and exceptionally well observed." Kenneth Turan LOS ANGELES TIMES "This is a vastly different Bill Murray to the one we have grown to expect. The question has to be asked, why have we had to wait so long to see the serious side of this wonderful actor?" Richard Surfield THE MOVIE PAGES "Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson give performances that will be talked about for years." Peter Travers ROLLING STONE

"A smartly written, confidently directed film that delivers big laughs while developing two of the year's most earnest characters and some of its most rewarding sentiments." Jack Mathews NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Lyrical and deeply touching...as intimate, humane, and heartfelt as any love story this year." Dustin Putman THEMOVIEBOY "One of the funniest films of the year, and also one of the most deeply sad" Eugene Novikov FILM BLATHER "It's as if Murray opens the front door to his psyche wide and lets the whole neighborhood in." Donald Munro FRESNO BEE "A rich and funny film." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "Just know that not only is this an incredibly well-written, well-directed, well-acted gem of a drama, but it’s also amusing and very deserving of your time, not to mention deserving of an Oscar. This is by far one of the very best films of 2003." Rebecca Joyner DATELINE ALABAMA

At A Glance

"Bill’s performance is just fantastic – filled with a confident vulnerability that only he is capable of." Danny Minton KBTV-NBC

It's the film overseas critics have been gushing about and one film all lovers of quality cinema should have on their 'must see' list. Why? Try terrfic performances by veteran actor Mr Bill Murray and his baby faced co-star Scarlett Johansson for a start. Then there is the language differences encountered in a foreign land, in this case Tokyo, Japan. In the film we see the stars frustrations as funny and yes they are, but would they seem so funny if it was us who were trying to communicate our needs, if the boot was on the other foot. Then there is the brewing undercurrent of sexuality between the stars. Will they or won't they get together. Added to this is the question of their values, both within their marriages and in relation to each other. He has family and feels he is just another piece of furniture. She is a young bride in a foreign land whose needs are being ignored by her job possessed husband. The final piece in this marvellous little film is the city itself, Tokyo. It's big, it's crowded and it's colorful. For all that it is a daunting proposition for Bob and Charlotte. But for director and writer Sofia Coppola Tokyo is like a shining light to a moth. It drew her to its lights and helped create a wonderful story. In fact she stayed in the same hotel [the Park Hyatt] that her film is set in. "I stayed there during a "Virgin Suicides" promotional/press tour" she said. "It's just one of my favorite places in the world. Tokyo is so hectic, but inside the hotel it's very silent. And the design of it is interesting. It's weird to have this New York bar, the jazz singer, the French restaurant, all in Tokyo. It's this weird combination of different cultures." So what was the inspiration for "Lost In Translation", it couldn't been just a hotel stay. "I knew the setting. I wanted to shoot at the Park Hyatt hotel, and I wanted to shoot the neon at night, and I wanted to make something romantic," she explains. "I wanted to make a love story without being nerdy. But it mostly came from time I spent over there when I was younger." So you had the images in your mind for a story but why did you settle on Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson? After all, Bill Murray has a big following as a comedian. "I've just always loved watching him in movies and I always wanted to work with him. He has this sweet, lovable side, "she said. "I thought it would be funny to see him in this little kimono in Japan, where he's really out of place." And was it fun working with Bill? "It was everything I hoped for, fun to be in Tokyo with him. He's enthusiastic, great with the crew, hung out with everyone she said," adding "he's great at improvising, and added so much to the scenes." And I believe he was pretty helpful on the set after shooting and that he offered you breakfast? "I was awed being around him," she says. "He'd wrap up equipment with the crew. And for those of us who were exhausted from shooting all night, he'd ask up to come down to his room and some eggs and bacon and champagne, and watch the World Series game." And Scarlett Johansson? "I always liked her in "Manny & Lo," as a cute little girl with that husky voice. There's just something about her, she does that cool wise-ass character well. She just seems older than she is. There's some innate quality." Producer Ross Katz added, "Scarlett has a worldliness, a sense of having lived a life that is well beyond her years. She was the most exciting candidate; she connected to the material and to Spohia's work in general. Scarlett embodied the role of Charlotte, and she's playing a young woman in her 20's, which people haven't seen her do." Now there are hints of a possible sexual liason between the two stars but it doesn't eventuate does it? Is that what you always had in mind? "I liked this relationship" Sofia reveals. "I've had friends like that where you have a flirtation but you're just friends. I wanted it to be more innocent. If they slept together, that would bring in reality. It's supposed to be romantic but on the edge. A little bit more than friends but not an actual romance." So what do you both hope the audience will get out of "Lost In Translation"?
"I hope that people relate to it in the way that I do," Ross Katz says. "I feel that, with "Lost In Translation", in addition to making a very funny movie, Sofia has crafted a film that is very specific, warm and comtemplative, with experiences we can all relate to." And Sofia's thoughts? "It's about moments in life that are great but don't last," she said. They don't go on, but you always have the memory and they have an effect on you. That's what I was thinking."
"Lost In Translation" was Directed and Written by Sofia Coppola ["Godfather: Part 1, 2 & III", "Peggy Sue Got Married", "The Cotton Club" and "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"] who also wrote "The Virgin Suicides" [1999], "Lick the Star" [1998] and "New York Stories" [1989] and directed "The Virgin Suicides" [1999] and "Lick the Star" [1998].
"Lost In Translation" stars Bill Murray ["Scrooged", "Caddyshack", "Groundhog Day", "The Razors Edge" and "Ed Wood"], Scarlett Johansson ["North", "The Horse Whisperer", "Ghost World", "Eight Legged Freaks" and "The Man Who Wasn't There"], Anna Faris ["Scary Movie 1, 2 and 3", "The Hot Chick" and "Lovers Lane"], Giovanni Ribisi ["Heaven", "Masked and Anonymous", "Gone In Sixty Seconds" and "Cold Mountain"], and Australian singer Catherine Lambert. The Story

"You'll see it because you love Bill Murray. But somewhere about halfway through you'll realize that you're watching something much more than a dramatic vehicle for Hollywood's clown prince." Scott Weinberg EFILMCRITIC.COM

Set in a Tokyo hotel "Lost In Translation" is the story of two hotel guests who's paths cross, bringing them together. She is a recently married young woman. He is an aging actor and a family man. Both are questioning the current state of their lives and what the future may hold for them. American actor Bob Harris is somewhat revered by the Japanese and has been flown to Tokyo to do an advertising shoot for a Whisky company. Charlotte is in Tokyo with her photojournalist husband John. He is so preoccupied with getting the right shots that he hardly notices her needs. For Bob and Charlotte Tokyo is an unfamiliar location. Neither knows the language, it's people one or it's traditions. In a foreign land their lives are are "Lost in Translation". The Verdict "This is a film that never hurries the mind. You want every moment to last. Unfortunately, like a holiday, "Lost In Translation" does end, but not before you've had the chance to witness two marvellous performance. The beauty of "Lost In Translation" is in its characters. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson performances are as life like as you'll ever see. You soon get the feeling that you are watching something special and by movies end, you know you have." The Cast

Scarlett Johansson Bill Murray Akiko Takeshita Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe Kazuko Shibata Take Ryuichiro Baba Akira Yamaguchi Catherine Lambert François du Bois Tim Leffman Gregory Pekar Richard Allen Giovanni Ribisi Yutaka Tadokoro Jun Maki Nao Asuka Tetsuro Naka Kanako Nakazato Fumihiro Hayashi Hiroko Kawasaki Daikon

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Charlotte Bob Harris Ms Kawasaki Press Agent Press Agent Press Agent Concierge Bellboy Jazz Singer Sausalito Piano Sausalito Guitar American Businessman #1 American Businessman #2 John Commercial Director Suntory Client Premium Fantasy Woman Stills Photographer Make-Up Person Charlie Hiroko Bambie

The Crew Directed and Written by Sofia Coppola First Assistant Director Takahide Kawakami Executive Producer Francis Ford Coppola and Fred Roos Produced by Sofia Coppola and Ross Katz Associate Producer Mitch Glazer Line Producers Callum Greene and Kiyoshi Inoue Co-Produced by Stephen Schible Original Music by Brian Reitzell and Kevin Shields Additional Music by William Storkson Cinematography by Lance Acord Film Editing by Sarah Flack Casting by Ryôichi Kondô Production Design by KK Barrett and Anne Ross Art Direction by Mayumi Tomita Set Decoration by Towako Kuwajima and Tomomi Nishio Costume Design by Nancy Steiner Hair stylist & Makeup artist Morag Ross Production Management by Anthony Katagas Run Time 101 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - UIP - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2003 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved