Akiko Takeshita, Akira Yamaguchi, Anna Faris

Bob Harris and Charlotte are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey commercial, while Charlotte is a young woman tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband....( read more  read more... ) Unable to sleep, Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the luxury hotel bar. This chance meeting soon becomes a surprising friendship. Charlotte and Bob venture through Tokyo, having often hilarious encounters with its citizens, and ultimately discover a new belief in life's possibilities.

Flixster Users

84% liked it

296,334 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

214 critics

R, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Release Date: September 12, 2003

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DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (23,887)


  • October 28, 2009
    Had to rewatch this as Ive now been to Japan and seen it for myself, it makes the film much more believeable and touches me in a different way now, a whole new experience as I can relate to the story and the surroundings ^_^

    The thing that struck me is how accurate the film is, ...( read more)I know exactly how the main characters feel in and amongst the huge towering, crowded metropolis that is Tokyo, the strange feeling of being alone amongst hundreds and not being able to communicate, it is perfect. Coppola captures the small niches of the country and its people, how they live, eat and relax etc..its a very different world believe me and you can see this in Coppola's direction and use of locations.
    Of course the performances by Murray and Johansson are brilliant, just right and not forgetting Faris as the superstar airhead :) very good (and accurate) portrayal there.
    The look of the film is glorious of course (bring on the Blu), being filmed entirely in Tokyo and a little in Kyoto, it all looks so familiar now, makes me wanna go back. Much of the film was actually filmed live too, in front of hundreds of Japanese people who had no clue they were making a film! again that's impressive believe me, its also shows how different the Japanese are. No one batted an eyelid to the filming, they saw it as normal or uninteresting and no one batted an eyelid at Bill Murray, not a clue who he was and they didn't much care either haha anywhere else and I reckon people would stop and stare.

    A classic love tale and near perfect film.
  • August 27, 2009
    Sofia Coppola is a great director in her own right and it annoys me when people say she only got as far as she did because of her father/family. People complain about the plot and script, and although winning best screenplay for a film that depends mostly on ad-libbing is a bit s...( read more)uspicious, she thoroughly deserved the success she had. The ending with the 'whisper' is such a wonderful bit of cinema, its such a shame people can't see it for what it is, what was said doesn't matter, its the reaction that makes it so powerful. Brilliant stuff!
  • May 21, 2009
    It was kinda boring, but it had it's moments. Bill Murray was funny, and Scarlett Johansson was adorable.
  • April 3, 2009
    murray and johansson are two of my favorite actors alive today and the theory behind the film was genius, i just had a real problem with much of the execution. this film caught trendy fanfare but overall i was disappointed.
  • January 4, 2009
    Sofia Coppola's masterpiece is a beautiful, subtle, realistic look at people at a disconnect.
    Bob and Charlotte are looking for ways to reconnect themselves in their own respective lives. This disconnection is mirrored by them being Americans lost in an unfamiliar country. Sofi...( read more)a's craftsmanship in creating scenes that say nothing and everything at the same time is brilliant. The beauty of this film can't be expressed in words. You have to see it!
  • November 13, 2009
    Sad, funny, poignant etc. Look for the scene with the high class escort in the hotel room- dangerously funny. Bill Murray is great.
  • November 13, 2009
    An exellent movie that failed to make an impact on me, mainly because it's lacking a main point. The acting of Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson was great and it's the most I liked in this film. What I strongly disliked was the Japanese setting (which for most was a strong point)...( read more) but afterall it's a matter of taste and I just hated the setting the set was playing in. Sofia Coppola did a good job, but yet again didn't get my full attention at any time of the screening because of that fatal main point in the plot missing. you won't feel nothing for the caracters dispite everything the actors did. However, with all those points, "Lost in Translation" is a good movie, but doesn't have a best picture oscar material, i'm afraid to say.
  • November 12, 2009
    Best Actor 2003 - Best Original Screenplay 2003
  • November 12, 2009
    Japanese English-skeaping shi funny,mix R ,L... but story was bored
  • November 11, 2009
    This film should certainly be used in how-to fashion to teach filmmakers that one need not rely on a fast-paced, action-packed popcorn flick to create a touching and mesmerizing experience.

    "Lost in Translation" is a simple story set in Japan in which Bob Harris (Bill Murray), a...( read more)n actor hired to shoot a whiskey commercial, meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a young wife visiting with her photographer husband, and form an unlikely bond.

    True film fans will admire Sofia Coppola's intimate portrayal of two people who probably share nothing more than the fact they feel alienated by the world around them, unfamiliar with anything but themselves.

    This is a career-defining performance for Murray, and Johannson lights up the screen with her tantalizing innocence.

    This is about as honest as storytelling gets, and one need not be familiar with Japan to understand this film, as it connects with feelings far beyond being caught in uncharted territory. Catch the subtleties in the story, the quiet desperation in the almost desert island romance that buds between seemingly polar opposites, and you can find yourself tangled in this truly magnificent work of art.

Critic Reviews


October 7, 2003
Marcy Dermansky, About.com

Sofia Coppola has made the kind of movie that I love to see most. full review

September 20, 2003
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

In Lost in Translation, [Murray] emerges as a complete character -- honourable and venal, fallible and funny, adding vulnerability to the panache. full review

September 18, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson give performances that will be talked about for years. full review

September 13, 2003
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

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. full review

September 12, 2003
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Coppola, an assured and confident young filmmaker, has crafted a small poem, about being lost and being found. full review

September 12, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Sweet and sad at the same time it is sardonic and funny. full review

September 12, 2003
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

It allows Scarlett Johansson to arrive as an actress at the same time it finally gives Bill Murray the great role that has always eluded him. full review

September 12, 2003
David Edelstein, Slate

An entrancing mood piece. full review

September 11, 2003
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com

If there were any doubts left as to Ms. Coppola's abilities [as a filmmaker]... "Lost in Translation" should smash down the snickering walls of her doubters once and for all. full review

View more Lost In Translation reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • mariadiana333
    September 20, 2009
    yeah is kinda boring for people who dont know JAPAN . off is really good movie .
  • marathon232
    April 5, 2008
    This film is amazing. I also love that the track 'Tommib' is in it.
  • sweetlikecandy00
    January 11, 2008
    Ridiculous. I thought i was gonna enjoy this movie, but it ended before anything actually happened. Wouldn't bother watching it again.
  • VampireGeek
    December 8, 2007
    loved it. It was the first film that made me appreciate media.I watched it because it was based in japan and now i love japan even more.But the messages and actual film is so simple its complicated wow an oxymoron.
  • terris85017
    April 22, 2007
    Do not believe anyone who says this was not a great movie!!

    Sept. 2003 I LOVED Scarlet & Bill Murray!! Dead pan? Guess you have never spent a week across the country in the madness of a convention? or or?? What an understated talent and beautiful direction by this newcomer talen (um, Sofia Coppola)! WOW!!!!! ALSO MUST SEE THE LOST CITY to truly appreciate the talents of (Bill Murray) this now clsssic funny man (former Saturday Night Live regular!!)...and of course Andy Garcia
  • tiinah89
    December 30, 2006
    I just saw this movie and I love it!
    It was quite funny! :D
  • shavedfish
    November 5, 2006
    no one should need telling why this movie's so brilliant... it just is
  • HKBSOCCER
    November 1, 2006
    it looks sooooooooooo cute! that other stupid person that commented it is just plain weird!
  • kickassrockedychick
    October 9, 2006
    How could you love it?! HOWWWWW?!!!!!!!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Lost In Translation Trivia


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

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