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Lost in Translation
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Bob (Bill Murray) is a jaded, melancholy actor who finds himself in Tokyo to film a scotch commercial. There he meets Charlotte, a Yale grad with a degree in philosophy whose husband leaves her behind while he completes his photographic shoots. Together, Bob and Charlotte try to make sense of their experiences and their loneliness.
Lost in Translation achieved several rare honors with the 2003 nominations. It achieved nominations in both the Best Comedy and Best Drama categories, a distinction first set by Igby Goes Down and this year matched by Big Fish. Scarlett Johansson was nominated in both leading and supporting categories for the same role, a precedent first set by Richard Gere last year, and this year matched by Ellen Degeneres. And Sofia Coppola became the first woman in the history of the Cosmique Movie Awards to be nominated for Best Director.
This film is intriguing but somewhat indescribable. The film has a languid, quiet pace that American audiences more accustomed to traditional Hollywood fare might find a little slow. At times, I wasn't completely following what was happening, but perhaps Sophia Coppola was being deliberately cryptic (as the title suggests). Bill Murray delivers his finest performance ever and certainly deserves a Best Actor nomination from both the Oscars and the Cosmos. Sophia Coppola, too, deserves a Best Director nomination, though her prospects for that at the Cosmo Awards will depend upon how well she does at the other major awards, and how well the film does with other Cosmo nominations. The film isn't completely flawless, but overall I recommend it highly.
My grade: A -
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