Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation is about the relationship that develops between an aging movie star and a young woman after the two meet in Tokyo. Bob Harris has come to Japan to shoot a commercial. He was once a very popular actor in the U.S., but his career has taken a downward turn. He is coming to Tokyo in an effort to cash in on sponsorship deals that he cannot get in America. Charlotte has come to the city to be with her obsessive photographer husband named John. John is on assignment to shoot rock bands and leaves Charlotte alone in their hotel room. Charlotte is lonely and is starting to have suspicions about her husband, who seems to take great interest in the models he sometimes photographs. Bob is dealing with marital issues on his own, as his fading career has taken a toll on the relationship he has with his wife of 25 years. He has come to Tokyo to make money and escape his problems, but they seem to follow him across the Pacific, leaving him depressed and unsure about his future. After a particularly long day of shooting a whiskey commercial, Bob retreats to a hotel bar. Charlotte is sitting with her husband and some friends and notices Bob from his old movies. She sends peanuts over to him as a gesture of good will. The two continue to meet at the bar on successive nights and strike up a unique friendship. Both Bob and Charlotte feel isolated and lost in the bright lights of Tokyo and realize that they need each other to get through the trip. Though the two never try to have a romantic bond, they grow closer and closer as they travel around Japan seeing some of the country's sites. Ultimately, Bob must leave Tokyo and Charlotte behind and return to his normal life, but not without one last message before he departs.