Lost in Translation is a 2003 American film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Her second feature film, after The Virgin Suicides (1999), it stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. The film revolves around an aging actor named Bob Harris and a recent college graduate named Charlotte who develop a rapport after a chance meeting in a Tokyo hotel. The movie explores themes of loneliness, alienation, insomnia, existential ennui, and culture shock against the backdrop of a modern Japanese city.

 

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a well-known American actor whose career has gone into a tailspin; needing work, he takes a very large fee to appear in a commercial for Japanese whiskey to be shot in Tokyo. Feeling no small degree of culture shock in Japan, Bob spends most of his non-working hours at his hotel, where he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) at the bar. Twentysomething Charlotte is married to John (Giovanni Ribisi), a successful photographer who is in Tokyo on an assignment, leaving her to while away her time while he works. Beyond their shared bemusement and confusion with the sights and sounds of contemporary Tokyo, Bob and Charlotte share a similar dissatisfaction with their lives; the spark has gone out of Bob's marriage, and he's become disillusioned with his career. Meanwhile, Charlotte is puzzled with how much John has changed in their two years of marriage, while she's been unable to launch a creative career of her own. Bob and Charlotte become fast friends, and as they explore Tokyo, they begin to wonder if their sudden friendship might be growing into something more.

 

Lost in Translation was boosted by critical acclaim and audience word-of-mouth. It has a rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating score of 89% based on 44 reviews on Metacritic. It was praised not only for Sofia Coppola's script and distinctive directing, but also for the work of Bill Murray. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars and rated it the second best film of the year, describing it as "sweet and sad at the same time as it is sardonic and funny", while also praising Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

 

Lost in Translation was screened at the 2003 Telluride Film Festival. It was given a limited release on September 12, 2003 in 23 theaters where it grossed $925,087 on its opening weekend. It was given a wider release on October 3, 2003 in 864 theaters where it grossed $4.1 million on its opening weekend. The film went on to make $44.5 million in North America and $75.1 million in the rest of the world for a worldwide total of $119.7 million.

 

Lost in Translation won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2003. It was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture. Bill Murray was also nominated for Best Actor. The film won Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Musical or Comedy Actor. It was also nominated for Best Director, and Best Musical or Comedy Actress.