Walking Amongst Dark Shadows

Accidental relationships can be touching

This is probably the most beautiful, thought provoking film I’ve ever seen. It’s just so deep in so many ways. Myself and Taz once texted each other well over 80 odd times while watching this film when it aired on TV over here. We both loved the film and more recently I went through the same motions again with my girlfriend Deena, because it aired on TV once again during this past weekend. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson positively shine, and their on-screen chemistry is just delightful. Bill Murray is the main star though; he is just the adlib master and is such an underrated actor in this day and age.

For those who haven’t seen this masterpiece, I’ll give you a lowdown. The film details an accidental relationship between two lonely souls. Bob (Bill Murray) is an international actor who is in Tokyo filming various ads for a whiskey company. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is accompanying her husband who is a photographer, on a business trip. However she is isolated and out of touch with her surroundings, she feels horribly lost. Bob is increasingly frustrated and also lost. Both characters are in a completely new world and end up turning to each other for comfort.

Their first encounters are rather casual, in a bar at first, then on an elevator. However over the course of 48hrs they begin to seek each other out and an incredibly intense bond between the two develops. Eventually they reach the point where they both spend a lot of time together sharing deep conversations and finding out about one another. The energy between the two is magic.

As I’ve said, Lost in Translation is magical, and very clever. It’s an amazing piece of work from Sofia Coppola. The way the film portrays a sense of disorientation between the two characters so flawlessly is quite mesmerizing. Here we have two normal individuals, who in their own city would be just strangers to each other, but place them in a city where they have no one to turn to but themselves, and you have a potent formula. The local language is just confusing, as are the local customs - Charlotte taking a walk through a park to see some sort of Asian ceremony (wedding?) is quite an eye opener, just look at her face in that scene. The restaurant scene where they both order something that resembles a plate of fish, and instead they both receive a huge plate of what resembles raw fish is sheer class. Their facial expressions are hilarious.

The strong sexual undercurrents between the two are spellbinding, yet despite this their relationship remains platonic. Their relationship is more of a very deep bond, but never goes beyond this point despite the clear fact that a huge amount of sexual energy between them. There is no ‘release’ of this energy, but the finale more than makes up for this masterpiece. Do they get together? You, the viewer have to decide for yourself.

If you haven’t seen this film before, just get it. Rent it, buy it, I don’t care. Just sit back with your partner, put the phone off the hook and just enjoy yourselves.