Lost In Translation, by Sophia Coppola is a story that takes place in a hotel in Japan where all the skyscrapers are located and where people scurry around the busy streets. Scarlett Johansson (Charlotte) plays a newly-wed who visits Japan with her photographer husband, and unexpectedly encounters Bob Harris (Billy Murray), a middle-age actor who also travels to Japan to shoot a television commercial. Their first few encounters were casual- on the elevator, in the bar. However, as time goes by they began to seek each other more and spent almost every moment together. Bob and Charlotte soon learn from each other that they are both confused about their own lives. Bob lacks presence for his wife and kids and Charlotte is confused about her own personal goals in life. Both formed a relationship that helped enlighten and comfort them throughout their travel. They were able to rediscover themselves by viewing Japan as their own place away from home where they were known as tourists. Their stay in Japan gave them new identities because of the lack of acknowledgement from the Japanese. They could do almost everything together without having paparazzi follow them around.
Everyone experiences similar reactions when traveling to an unfamiliar place.The situation that people go through seems hopeless like the two main characters (Charlotte and Bob) that don’t enjoy Japan like typical travelers do. The city that they traveled to is too foreign to them in every aspect-the culture, food, language, beauty, and mannerisms. Coppola’s shots of Tokyo’s breathtaking skyscrapers and the stunning Japanese hotel garden that Charlotte admiringly examined. It seems like the author was portraying a sense of isolation in both characters as “homesick” to purposely enhance their random meet depicting a bond as two lost people finding support from each other. By filming the movie in Japan, it enhances the difference in culture and reaction of the characters.