(Review originally written at 14 August 2005)
This movie is an unique movie that I would describe as a 'character comedy'. This is not a comedy with forced humor in it, it is a comical, yet ordinary observation of two different people in a strange foreign world, who are growing more and more towards each other. The humor and warm feeling of the movie is in the every day things and the strange but yet realistic characters. This movie is just like real life; slow and not every thing is always making sense or requires explanation. Sometimes things just happen, whether you like it or not.
This is a movie that relies heavily on its two main characters played by Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, two totally different characters who yet are 'attracted' to each other. It's obvious that at lot of parts in the movie moments were improvised, especially in the Bill Murray sequences. But somehow director Sofia Coppola manages to restrain Murray (something that most definitely is not an easy thing to do) and molds him into the character she want him to be. The fact that Murray perhaps plays the role of his life is thanks to Coppola's directing. Coppola and Murray should definitely make more movies together in the future.
It's logical that this movie received an Oscar nomination for best picture, since this type of movie is new and yet works so well and feels so familiar and honest. I'm sure of it that in the near future we will get to see more movies like "Lost in Translation" being made.
Perhaps not the must see everyone makes you believe it is but still an unique, warm movie experience that surely is recommendable for everyone to watch, at least once. Chanches are you'll either end up totally loving it, or hating it.
8/10
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