Lost in Translation (2003)

A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.

Director:

Sofia Coppola

Writer:

Sofia Coppola

Stars:

Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi

Won 1 Oscar. Another 97 wins & 131 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scarlett Johansson	...	Charlotte
Bill Murray	...	Bob Harris
Akiko Takeshita	...	Ms. Kawasaki
Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe	...	Press Agent
Kazuko Shibata	...	Press Agent
Take	...	Press Agent
Ryuichiro Baba	...	Concierge
Akira Yamaguchi	...	Bellboy
Catherine Lambert	...	Jazz Singer
François du Bois	...	Sausalito Piano (as Francois du Bois)
Tim Leffman	...	Sausalito Guitar
Gregory Pekar	...	American Businessman #1
Richard Allen	...	American Businessman #2
Giovanni Ribisi	...	John
Diamond Yukai	...	Commercial Director (as Yutaka Tadokoro)

Storyline

Middle-aged American movie star Bob Harris is in Tokyo to film a personal endorsement Suntory whiskey ad solely for the Japanese market. He is past his movie star prime, but his name and image still have enough cachet for him to have gotten this lucrative $2 million job. He has an unsatisfying home life where his wife Lydia follows him wherever he goes - in the form of messages and faxes - for him to deal with the minutiae of their everyday lives, while she stays at home to look after their kids. Staying at the same upscale hotel is fellow American, twenty-something recent Yale Philosophy graduate Charlotte, her husband John, an entertainment still photographer, who is on assignment in Japan. As such, she is largely left to her own devices in the city, especially when his job takes him out of Tokyo. Both Bob and Charlotte are feeling lost by their current situations, which are not helped by the cultural barriers they feel in Tokyo, those cultural barriers extending far beyond just not...

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Plot Keywords:

older man younger woman relationship | loneliness | unlikely friendship | american in tokyo | insomnia | 

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Taglines:

Everyone wants to be found.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scarlett Johansson was 17 during production.

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Goofs

When Bob and Charlotte first see each other in the hotel elevator, a Japanese woman is seen wearing a kimono with the right flap covering the left. In Japan, this is only practiced with burial kimonos, indicating that the scene was most likely flipped.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ms. Kawasaki: Welcome to Tokyo.
Bob: Thank you very much.
Ms. Kawasaki: My name is Kawasaki. Nice to meet you.
Bob: I've heard of you. Thank you.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the closing credits, Hiromix (Hiromi Toshikawa), seen throughout most of the party sequence, waves to the camera.

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Connections

Referenced in Bangkok Airport: Lost in Translation (2015)

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Soundtracks

Midnight at the Oasis
(1970)
Written by David Nichtern
Performed by Catherine Lambert

User Reviews

breath taking

A lot of my friends told me the movie was dull and had no story line. However, i thought it was a moving story about love and relationships and life in general. I believe if people watched the movie they'd like it more for the subtle brilliance that prevails. The roles played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson performed flawlessly with enough emotion as necessary. It will now be one of my favourite films though not action - packed it is a masterpiece of emotion and through the use of clever cinematography enthrals the viewer. I would suggest this is more of a chick flick though I'm sure most men will understand the true emotion of the film.

Details

Official Sites:

Distributor's web site with synopsis and media

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English Japanese German French

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lost in Translation

Filming Locations:

Omote-Sando, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$925,087, 14 September 2003

Gross USA:

$44,585,453

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$118,686,937

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Tohokushinsha Film Corporation (TFC), American Zoetrope

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1