For this week's Cultural Toolbox, discussed Lost in Translation. Released in 2003, it was one of the most commercially successful and acclaimed works of American independent cinema of its decade.

John - who met Bill Murray once, he was eager to boast - explained it as "the ultimate Western Japanese movie - it shows Tokyo and other places in Japan, in almost stereotypical sort of way."

Starring Bill Murray and Charlotte Johansson, the film was directed by Sofia Coppolla - her second film after The Virgin Suicides.

The film, which John described as almost like a Fable, focuses on two lead characters - Bob and Charlotte. Bob is a disillusioned middle-aged actor, one-time Hollywood action star, who has travelled to Tokyo to film a Suntory whiskey commercial and receive a generous pay cheque for his troubles. Charlotte, meanwhile, has tagged along to Japan with her photographer husband, but finds herself growing further apart from him and struggling to decide what to do with her life.

Both ‘lost’ in their own way, the pair strike up a brief but profoundly affecting friendship as they repeatedly bump into each other in the hotel where they’re staying (much of the film was shot at the five-star Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel).

Coppolla has said the film was partially inspired by experiences travelling to Japan in her 20s. Interestingly, Coppolla’s father Francis Ford (director of The Godfather) had travelled to Japan to film Suntory whiskey commercials with iconic Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa - an experience which surely helped influence the plot of Lost in Translation itself.

Appeal

The reasons behind Lost in Translation’s appeal are not difficult to identify. It’s a lovingly crafted film - from the gorgeous cinematography and dream-like pacing to its memorably ethereal soundtrack (featuring original compositions from Irishman and My Bloody Valentine frontman Kevin Shields).

It features career best - or very close to career best - efforts from all the key players. Murray has quite simply never been better than he is here, while Johansson’s performance was nothing short of revelatory at the time (although perhaps slightly less surprising for those who had been lucky enough to see the likes of Ghost World).

It’s a great example of a rom-com done right too. It is full of laugh out loud setpieces and gags. As a romance, it’s a work of great subtlety, everything told quiet gestures as opposed to big moments of melodrama. Bob and Charlotte share little more than a peck on the cheek and some meaningful glances, but it feels incredibly romantic and meaningful nonetheless.

"What makes it work is this relationship between the two of them," John argued. "What gets it over the line is that if it was George Clooney playing this middle-aged actor, I don't think it would have worked. Whereas Bill Murray is a bit more of an acquired taste, but he's world weary."

And that ending. Much effort has been expended by people trying to decipher that iconic final whisper, but one could suggest it is almost missing the point. It’s a moment of quiet intimacy on a busy street, a secret the two characters share and the audience merely observes from a distance. What is said doesn’t really matter to us: the mere fact that it was said at all is much more important. Lost in Translation ends on a note that is both dramatically satisfying and tantalisingly ambiguous - a mix that is seriously difficult to achieve.

Criticism

The film was widely acclaimed at release, a commercial hit and remains very popular with viewers - a recent screening of the film and karaoke night at The Lighthouse cinema in Dublin sold out. However there has also been some notable negative criticism of the film. Some dismissed it as style over substance, while others were not so fond of it being the latest in a long line of ‘older man, younger woman’ stories.

Even viewers who generally liked the film have highlighted some tonal inconsistencies - arguing some of the broader caricatures in the film are at odds with the gentler, more subtle storytelling elsewhere.

Most significantly, some groups and viewers have accused the film of racist stereotyping - an accusation contested by others. Asian Mediawatch said at release that, "the group feels that the film dehumanises the Japanese people by portraying them as a collection of shallow stereotypes who are treated with disregard and disdain.”

Shane said, "it does very much play on Japanese stereotypes... I say that as someone who once stayed in a hotel in Thailand built for Japanese tourists".

John argued, "if you go to a place where you're very lonely and isolated, stereotypes become more present to your mind... Maybe I'm excusing it too much, but I think the point is it's trying to show the isolation of the person who doesn't want to be in the foreign land at that time." 

Coppola herself said, “I know I'm not racist. I think if everything's based on truth, you can make fun, have a little laugh, but also be respectful of a culture. I just love Tokyo, and I'm not mean-spirited.”

After the film

For Bill Murray, Lost in Translation came right in the middle of the period of renewed critical acclaim that followed his roles in Rushmore (he has since appeared in all Wes Anderson’s films at some capacity). Despite a number of other major roles since - dramatic, comedic, or both - Murray’s trophy cabinet is still dominated by the awards he received for his extraordinarily nuanced performance as Bob Harris.

Few would argue that the film was the one that helped Scarlett Johansson become one of the most sought after young actresses in Hollywood - amazingly, she was only 18 when Lost in Translation was released. Despite having had a very busy and interesting decade (helped in part by her frequent collaborations with Woody Allen) one could argue it wasn’t until recently she was finally gifted the scripts to truly build on her exemplary early work - thanks to the double whammy of Under the Skin and Her.

A bit of six degrees of separation trivia: Her was directed by Spike Jonze, ex-husband of Sofia Coppolla - and it has been widely speculated that the character of Charlotte’s husband (played by Giovanni Ribisi) in Lost in Translation was partially inspired by Jonze. Coppola, for her part, has said, “it's not Spike. But there are elements of him there, elements of experiences. There are elements of me in all the characters.”

As for Sofia Coppola herself, she has made three films since, to what can only be described as a mixed response. All of the films have their fans and critics - Somewhere walked away with the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival - but she has undeniably continued making distinctive, unusual films - whether it amounts to anything more has been a matter of debate. Intriguingly, she’s set to team up with Bill Murray again for, of all things, a Christmas special. A Very Murray Christmas will be released on Netflix later this year, and it will almost certainly be worth a watch.