Famous American movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is in Tokyo to shoot a lucrative commercial for a popular Japanese brand of whisky.

Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation

Despite constant attention from his host, the obsequious Ms Kawasaki (Akiko Takeshita), Bob feels desperately alone, communicating with his wife via fax and telephone.

Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) finds herself in the same hotel, having accompanied her photographer husband John (Giovanni Ribisi) to the city, where he is on assignment shooting a hot new rock band.

By chance, Bob and Charlotte meet in the bar and thus begins a tender friendship which teeters on the brink of romance, compelling both of them to question where their heart belongs.

Lost In Translation is a beautifully scripted and impeccably acted love story, involving two lost souls who, despite a 30-year age gap, discover the giddiness of first love and infatuation when they least expect it.

Writer-director Sofia Coppola understands the ebb and flow of human emotions so well.

Her ear for dialogue is remarkable, capturing the vulnerability and melancholy of her lead characters, as well as the dry humour which sparks their touching flirtation.

Murray delivers the finest performance of his career, unafraid to reveal the tears of his ageing clown.

With his comic schtick in full flow, the Saturday Night Live funnyman is of course hilarious, fending off the advances of a female escort (Nao Asuka) who turns up unannounced and demands that he rip her tights.

It's in the moments when Bob bares his wounded heart to Charlotte, however, that Murray really impresses.

We understand completely why a woman, young enough to be his daughter, would gravitate towards him.

Johansson is equally stunning, belying her tender years (18 at the time of shooting) to bring a sexiness and fragility to her disenchanted wife.

She expertly conveys Charlotte's confusion and anguish at the state of her stalling marriage.

The chemistry between the pair is electric.

We know that if Bob and Charlotte do not consummate their attraction before Bob leaves in the morning to return to America, at least they will both have Tokyo.

To quote the Bryan Ferry song, "More Than This", which Bob murders in a karaoke bar: "It was fun for a while/There was no way of knowing/Like a dream in the night/Who can say where we're going?"