Memoirs of a Geisha (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Beauty prevails in 'Memoirs of a Geisha', a romantic drama directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago). The film follows the 1930's tale of Chiyo, one of 2 daughters who are sold off by their poor, ailing parents. They are sent to Kyoto to become geishas (women who sell their skills, not necessarily their bodies). The young actress who plays Chiyo is excellent as she portrays the confused, scared little girl. After many years of being a slave for 'mother' (Kaori Mamoi) & head geisha, Hatsumomo (a beautiful & bewitching Gong Li), Chiyo transforms into 'Sayuri' (Ziyi Zhang), a rival geisha working under Mameha (the great Michelle Yeoh).
Hatsumomo becomes jealous of Chiyo's budding beauty & knows that she can become a fierce rival one day. Thanks to Mameha's mentoring of 'Sayuri' (formerly Chiyo), she now knows how to adorn herself, glance at a man, converse with a man, escort him, give him gifts, feed him, play music for him, sing, & dance for him. This is what geishas do (for the mainly elitist male population) for prestige & profit. And Sayuri uses her god-given beauty & sly crafts to put her rival geishas to shame; enchanting many men throughout the film. That's all well and good ...
But her goal is still to win-over The Chairman (a regal Ken Watanabe). He is her secret love; the man she wants to give her virginity away to (though it may be harshly taken from her prematurely). He had helped her as a little girl, & the memory of him never left the twinkle in her lavender eyes. Through most of the movie, he is tentative around her; out of her reach. But she is hell bent (come war, famine, or class struggle) to make enough $$ to live out the rest of her life, break-free when she can, & get The Chairman to reciprocate her love for him. It's a beautiful story of love, loss, & hope.
Rob Marshall has directed a very good movie, here (though, I'm sure some things are lost in translation from the acclaimed novel from which it's based). The emotions displayed by the main actresses (the fact that they all aren't Japanese brought much controversy to this project) is stellar. They are captivating in their own mysterious ways (i.e., Ziyi Zhang is incredible while performing a rapturous eclectic dance in the middle of the film). And though their lack of complete mastery over the English language is a bit of a distraction, at times ... they're still incredibly beguiling. The plot is labyrinthine enough that if your attention wanes, you will get lost. But that rarely occurred with me; as I was emotionally invested in Sayuri, the poignant climax, & her assumed destiny with The Chairman.
The geisha cultural phenomenon is fascinating to watch, here. The movie's cinematography is exquisite. The costumes are absolutely immaculate. The Japanese sets are rich in detail. The geisha make-up is great. And even the music (by John Williams, Yo Yo Ma, & Itzhak Perlman) is gorgeous; bombastic & kinetic one moment, subtle & haunting the next. Everything is beautiful; almost lullingly so. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' epitomizes beauty, art, & style. I cared about the characters. I just wish there was a bit more substance to compliment all the style. Still, I really enjoyed & appreciated this film.
Hatsumomo becomes jealous of Chiyo's budding beauty & knows that she can become a fierce rival one day. Thanks to Mameha's mentoring of 'Sayuri' (formerly Chiyo), she now knows how to adorn herself, glance at a man, converse with a man, escort him, give him gifts, feed him, play music for him, sing, & dance for him. This is what geishas do (for the mainly elitist male population) for prestige & profit. And Sayuri uses her god-given beauty & sly crafts to put her rival geishas to shame; enchanting many men throughout the film. That's all well and good ...
But her goal is still to win-over The Chairman (a regal Ken Watanabe). He is her secret love; the man she wants to give her virginity away to (though it may be harshly taken from her prematurely). He had helped her as a little girl, & the memory of him never left the twinkle in her lavender eyes. Through most of the movie, he is tentative around her; out of her reach. But she is hell bent (come war, famine, or class struggle) to make enough $$ to live out the rest of her life, break-free when she can, & get The Chairman to reciprocate her love for him. It's a beautiful story of love, loss, & hope.
Rob Marshall has directed a very good movie, here (though, I'm sure some things are lost in translation from the acclaimed novel from which it's based). The emotions displayed by the main actresses (the fact that they all aren't Japanese brought much controversy to this project) is stellar. They are captivating in their own mysterious ways (i.e., Ziyi Zhang is incredible while performing a rapturous eclectic dance in the middle of the film). And though their lack of complete mastery over the English language is a bit of a distraction, at times ... they're still incredibly beguiling. The plot is labyrinthine enough that if your attention wanes, you will get lost. But that rarely occurred with me; as I was emotionally invested in Sayuri, the poignant climax, & her assumed destiny with The Chairman.
The geisha cultural phenomenon is fascinating to watch, here. The movie's cinematography is exquisite. The costumes are absolutely immaculate. The Japanese sets are rich in detail. The geisha make-up is great. And even the music (by John Williams, Yo Yo Ma, & Itzhak Perlman) is gorgeous; bombastic & kinetic one moment, subtle & haunting the next. Everything is beautiful; almost lullingly so. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' epitomizes beauty, art, & style. I cared about the characters. I just wish there was a bit more substance to compliment all the style. Still, I really enjoyed & appreciated this film.