Music has always formed an integral part of Sophia Coppola's cinema, its fluid and languorous images finding a flattering echo in her ethereal soundtracks. After Virgin Suicides, whose soundtrack by Air became an object of cult worship, the young filmmaker does it again with Lost in Translation. This time the soundtrack has been entrusted to Kevin Shields, deus ex machina of My Bloody Valentine and also the guitarist for Primal Scream.
One will thus not be astonished by the slightly noisy direction of the project, Shields taking the opportunity to provide three new pieces to which "Sometimes" by My Bloody Valentine can be added. If the two instrumental songs officiate rather like atmospheric interludes, it is especially "City Girl" that will be retained, a song throbbing with dirty guitars that goes back to Valentine's early hours, in particular the mini EP of "You make me realize".
For the remainder, the course almost without fault, except for a hideous 80's deviation: "Too Young" by Phoenix. Death in Vegas flirts with Air, Squarepusher and Sebastien Tellier, the enemble bringing an unreal, shifted and slightly underground dimension with this ballad to the discovery of Tokyo under disconcerting lights.
However, the most bewitching moment is the taxi ride which is transcended by "Just Like Honey", the emblematic anthem of The Jesus & Mary Chain. The musical voyage is completed after a few minutes of silence, when a hidden gem reveals the karaoke piece where Bill Murray sings "More Than This" by Brian Ferry.
Kevin Shields has definitely not lost anything in the musical translation of Sophia Coppola's film.
Lost in Translation Soundtrack
