Lost in Translation

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Lost in Translation

R,

2003,

1h 42m,

Comedy/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

96%

232 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

250,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

232 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

Critics Consensus

Effectively balancing humor and subtle pathos, Sofia Coppola crafts a moving, melancholy story that serves as a showcase for both Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

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Rania Richardson

AV Club

Feb 14, 2024

3.5/4

The culture has shifted in the two decades since Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson bonded in a Tokyo hotel for LOST IN TRANSLATION, one of Sophia Coppola's best.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Sep 29, 2023

Just like the final words of Sofia Coppola’s film, the best parts of the movie are left indecipherable...

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Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

Mar 16, 2020

...its pretty images of Tokyo and oddball intergenerational friendship coalesce into something unexpectedly moving...

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Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Aug 12, 2026

Transformative and reflective stuff and an announcement of talent from Coppola and Johansson.

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Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Mar 27, 2025

4.5/5

More than two decades later, this is still Sofia Coppola's best film. An exquisite dramedy that stays with you long after the credits roll. [Full review in Spanish]

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Adam Smith

Radio Times

Aug 8, 2024

5/5

[The] backdrop of night-time Tokyo as an alien landscape against which the couple delicately explore each other's ambiguous feelings, this talented young director has produced a sad, funny, magical and almost irresistibly moving experience.

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Apr 28, 2019

This move is so overrated. First, storyline is so bland, and main characters cannot connect to the audience. It does not convince me of anything. A man in a mid-life crisis and a woman who is not happy with her marriage are lonely. No wonder because they are condescending. I think John convinces me better than Charlotte and Sofia Coppola do. Second, how the movie depicts Asian culture and how these American characters find superiority in the setting are disturbing. They find each other because they think they're superior than others and the culture surrounding them. Again this movie is overrated just because it is set in Japan, a new, mysterious, and quirky neverland. If it happens to be released these days, people have criticized this problem for sure.

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Harry R

Apr 27, 2019

A masterpiece about hardship and friendship!

Ron S

Apr 6, 2019

The story is absolutely beautiful, just as all director's approach of Sofia Coppola. Had I had time to write dozens of pages, I would have done it with a great pleasure saying good things about this film. The way to show protagonists being lost in their relationships in connection to being so foreign to the life in Japan is amazing! Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson were able to convey this state of being in crisis just perfectly. The episodes of their interaction with the Japanese are very entertaining and fun. Along with the episodes of strolls around Tokyo, they give a very fresh glance on Japan. Sofia Coppola is just one-of-a-kind director who has a great sense of sophistication when it comes to showing the feeling and emotions based on numerous beautiful metaphors. Her movies are gentle, refined, distinguished and elegant. Lost in Translation is the best example of her work. And my Lord, I love Bill Murray's role in this movie!

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Rey W

Mar 24, 2019

Why this movie got an "R" rating by MPAA is beyond me.

George S

Mar 17, 2019

One of the best XXI century movies, excellent in every way

Ron S

Mar 14, 2019

Big fan of Bill Murray and Scarlet Johannsen. But this movie didn't click with me.

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Sofia Coppola

Director

Bill Murray

Bob Harris

Scarlett Johansson

Charlotte

Giovanni Ribisi

John

Anna Faris

Kelly

Fumihiro Hayashi

Charlie

Lost in Translation: Official Clip - Does It Get Easier?

3:00

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - Ditzy Actress

2:12

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - The Japanese Johnny Carson

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - Bob and Charlotte Meet

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - "Midnight Velocity" Press Conference

1:49

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - The Rat Pack Photo Shoot

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - Bad Exercise

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - Lip My Stockings!

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - Suntory Time!

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Lost in Translation: Official Clip - A Secret Goodbye

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Synopsis

A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

Director: Sofia Coppola
Producer: Sofia Coppola, Ross Katz
Screenwriter: Sofia Coppola
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Elemental Films, American Zoetrope
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.6M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround

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