'Translation' moves from moment to reality

Sofia Coppola has more than fulfilled the promise she made with her critically-acclaimed 1999 film The Virgin Suicides. Her latest film, Lost in Translation, has been generating Oscar buzz practically since its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, and the critics have come to call the film their own, officially dubbing it one of the best films of 2003. \nWritten and directed by Coppola herself, Lost in Translation will leave you at a loss for words and resonating with the emotional poignancy and contemplativeness of Coppola's first film. Likewise, as critics have noted, Bill Murray quite possibly turns in the best performance of his career: the final (and possibly golden) thread that pulls a beautifully woven tapestry together.\nLost in Translation follows former action-star-turned-whiskey-endorser Bob Harris, played to perfect nuanced perfection by Murray, while he films a commercial in Japan. Aside from jet lag and a odious dose of culture shock, Harris is handling a marriage that seems to be on its last legs and could be considering a midlife crisis. Any attempt at communication is utterly … well … lost in translation. \nSpending his insomniac nightlife in the hotel lounge and bar, Harris meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the new wife of a rock photographer who is entirely consumed by his profession. When Charlotte and Harris meet, they have plenty to discuss; both are making strange and, at times, frightening reevaluations of exactly where their lives are headed.\nAt the core of Coppola's film is a story about the difference between individual moments and the reality they compose. Caught up in a strange world with stranger inhabitants and living lives that could or could not be unraveling, Coppola's characters offer myriad insightful moments, exemplified by Bob's karaoke number, in which he sings, "More than this there is nothing." \nTogether, Harris and Charlotte have an electric chemistry, discussing great abstractions with booze-induced clarity and an understanding that could never come from those who know them best. Together, their rapport is beautiful and exciting and easily seductive -- but reality waits for them at home, \nCoppola's latest offering presents a vast array of complex characters in relatable situations. Thought-provoking and bittersweet, Lost in Translation is a sure sign that the Coppola name could soon find cinematic redemption.