14/50x2: Lost in Translation

There was a lot of hype about this movie after its release, and was one of the catapults in Scarlett Johansson's career.

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American movie star, who is on the downside of his career in the film Lost in Translation. He is in Tokyo filming a commercial for a whiskey - a commercial that will pay him $2 million.

Also in Tokyo is Charlotte (Johansson), who has traveled there with her husband John (Giovanni Ribisi), a photographer.

Bob is quite possibly in the middle of a mid-life crisis and is dreading having to go back to his marriage, which after 25 years is lacking a bit of romance. Charlotte, meanwhile, feels abandoned by John as he runs off to multiple photo shoots - and also suspects that something may be going on with an American model named Kelly (Anna Faris).

By chance both Bob and Charlotte meet at the hotel bar repeatedly over the course of a few days. On one of those nights Charlotte invites Bob out on the town to meet up with a few of her friends, and he accepts.

They strike up an unusual friendship and begin to bond with the fact that they both feel quite alone in this culture, and are curious with the differences between Japan and America.

I feel the film was beautiful to look at and the performances by Johansson and Murray were spectacular, but I wasn't drawn in like I thought I would be. I guess that is the downfall of the hype machine.

I also couldn't really identify with either of the characters. I have never been to a foreign country alone, and have never been overseas. Plus I am a little young to be going through a midlife crises - though I am sure it's on its way.

But, even after that it was still a pretty decent film. Though, I doubt I would ever sit down and watch it again.

Grade: