A review from the vaults! 1/7/04!!! I'm sticking by it:
There are many great things that I can say about Lost In Translation, but I will keep it short. This is the most overall enjoyable film I have seen in years and maybe ever. A subtle smile appeared on my face from the first shot (not just because of the pink panties....) and steadily grew as I watched Bob and Charlotte's equally subtle relationship blossom.
Sometimes less is more, and the sparse dialogue and restrained performances allow this picture to resonate with powerful emotion. Through facial expressions (most notably Bill Murray's eyes) and patches of lonely silence, the two leads become a part of the viewer and we lose ourselves in their kindred souls.
The reinvention of Murray (which started in Rushmore, was polished in The Royal Tenenbaums and will be furthered in The Life Aquatic. Thank you Wes Anderson) is a marvel to watch and through Lost in Translation is worthy of the Best Actor Oscar. Scarlett Johansson, though here in a lead role, should be marketed as a Best Supporting Actress and is the best candidate in that field. She has been great since The Horse Whisperer, was excellent in Ghost World and is a double threat this year along with her performance in Girl With The Pearl Earring.
And what of Sofia Coppola? She will receive three nominations come the end of this month. The first for Best Picture as one of the film's producers, another for Best Director, and one more for Best Original Screenplay (which she deserves to win). The script is smart enough that the characters don't cheapen their relationship by making it "Hollywood" and sleeping together (a choice rarely seen in contemporary films).
I do have one question: Would this film have succeeded the way it does if another actor played the role of Bob? I'm still not sure, but luckily we'll never have to find out. Bill Murray has graced this picture with an almost indescibable quality and has aided in creating (along with the talented cast and crew) a memorable film which belongs on the "Classics" shelf.