Lost In Translation tells the story of two people who have both lost themselves, in a literal sense and in an emotional sense. Playing Bob is Bill Murray, who delivers one of the most subtle performances of the 21st century, and playing Charlotte is Scarlett Johansson, who, just 17 at the time of filming, conveys such maturity, whilst also displaying a vulnerable innocence. That juxtaposition really is what makes, not only a great performance by Johansson, but with the perfect mix of Johansson's performance, and Sofia Coppola's writing, Charlotte becomes a fantastic character, who truly is the emotional centre of the film. And while Bob is the lead, and is going through a tough time, he is much more of a selfish character. We
can sympathise with him, but ultimately, he is still just a rich actor moping about, clearly not happy with the state of his diminishing stardom and his marriage. He is likely just in a mid-life crisis, which leads him to his friendship with Charlotte, who ends up being the heart of the movie.
