Lost in Translation (2003)

Great indie film. Performances were all solid, but I think Bill Murray was recognized by the Academy and Globes for his body of work rather than this specific role. They seem to do that a lot. I think he should have won for What About Bob? -- they always overlook amazing comedic performances by comedians because they don't see it as a stretch, but he went far beyond his normal schtick in that role.

Back to Translation. Sofia used a very loose, casual shooting style that worked nicely for this film. The plot is really simple, if you'd call it a plot at all. It's more about people interacting at difficult periods in their lives, which happens to occur in Tokyo. One thing it does really well is make viewers want to visit Japan. At least it did for me. Check out the Behind the Scenes feature on the DVD - great!

Rating: B+