| Midnight Court Film Society |
||
| Home | Services | Contact |
Oct-Dec 2010 Screenings
Lost In Translation
2003 - Sofia Coppola - 101 - USA/Japan
Fri 10 Dec 2004 at 8.30pm
Astor Cinema, Scariff
Midnight Court Rating: 4.7 (38 votes)
Storyline: Two people, marooned in Tokyo, form an unexpected allegiance. Charlotte is the young wife of a photographer dude, left alone whilst he shoots bands and movie starlets; Bob is an older, jaded actor, there to fulfill a lucrative advertising contract. Unable to sleep, they run into each other late one night in the hotel bar, and from then on in, can’t seem to shake their mutual fascination. She’s drifting, trying to figure out who she is; he’s doing the same, for different reasons. ‘Does it get any easier?’ asks Charlotte at one point. The dynamic between the two actors is a joy to watch: this is Bill Murray’s best performance since Groundhog Day, and Scarlett Johansson (Ghostworld, Girl with a Pearl Earring) once again convinces that she is in a class of her own. Tokyo is a hugely seductive presence, gorgeous looking but always just slipping away from comprehension, and the cultural divides are unfailingly treated with affectionate humour. An inspired karaoke sequence is worth the price of admission alone (though you’ll never hear those songs in the same way again), just one of the treats in this enticing mix of hipster style and old-school family film-making savvy. After the cool and engaging debut that was The Virgin Suicides, expectations run high for Sofia Coppola’s second feature. Happily, Lost in Translation is an irresistible beauty, and will gently steal its way into your heart and your head.
“One of the purest and simplest examples ever of a director falling in love with her star's gifts.' -- Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times
“Murray is sublime.” - The Guardian
“Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson give performances that will be talked about for years. Lost in Translation is found gold. One of the year’s best pictures.” - Rolling Stone
“Bill Murray is magnificent.” - The Daily Telegraph
Winner - Best Actor & Director / New York Film Critics
Winner - Best Actor & Best Actress & Director / Boston Society of Film Critics 2003
Winner - Best Film & Best Actor / San Francisco Film Critics Circle
Winner - Best Original Screenplay / Academy Awards 2004
Winner - Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Editing / BAFTA Awards
Verdicts from the Midnight Court