Designated for 6 Oscars, and winner of 3, Memoirs Of A Geisha holds its own as one of the finest films of 2005. Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Robin Swicord does a wonderful job of evolving Arthur Golden’s hottest novel to the big screen. This film has all the elements of a classic drama envy, politics, intrigue, forbidden love, and a sufficiency of internal conflicts of varying types. Viewers in pursuit a typical Hollywood smash hit will be significantly disappointed, but those who appreciate a good character-driven film which takes the time to develop the motivations of its cast and build to a climax will discover a splendid gem which offers a welcome escape from fact.
Memoirs Of A Geisha is expounded from the viewpoint of a 9 year old Jap girl named Chiyo [ Ziyi Zhang ]. Born into a poor fishing family, Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their father. Chiyo is shortly separated from her sister and reveals herself in a geisha house where her new master, Mother [ Kaori Momoi ], will determine her destiny. Although only 9 years old, Chiyo sparks the anger of the much older Hatsumomo [ Li Gong ], the most celebrated geisha of the house, who accurately perceives Chiyo as a fitting rival.
Li Gong is excellent in her role as the vindictive, yet human, adversary, and her personality manages to have Chiyo removed from geisha faculty and sentenced to the life of a common slave. However, Chiyo’s life takes a turn for the better following an opportunity meeting with The CEO [ Ken Watanabe ]. Surrounded by 2 geisha, The CEO extends his kindness to Chiyo, prompting her to develop a lifetime crush and to dream of one day becoming a geisha herself. Chiyo’s wish comes true when a geisha from another house, Mameha [ Michelle Yeoh ], offers to personally teach her, setting up an unavoidable conflict between the 2 and Hatsumomo and her understudy. In the horrors of war and her lifetime pursuit of The Chairperson’s love burden Chiyo with additional hardships. Though some traditionalists and geisha experts might take issue with the portrayal of geishas typically, the film actually offers an engaging glance into a world and culture most US people will find interesting. In spite of its two hour and 25 minute running time, Memoirs Of A Geisha is an attracting film that appears much shorter in duration. Like most films adapted from a novel, people who liked the book will either love it or don’t like it depending on how well they perceive the switch to the big screen. But even people who do not like it must admit that the costume and set design are delightful and leave tiny room for improvement. On occassion, the cast speaks with heavy accents which can be confusing at moments, but overall, the scenes flow well from one to the next. With the exception of some Yankee actors near the conclusion [ Ted Levine of Priest fame plays a US Army Colonel ], the majority of the cast is made of Chinese and Jap actors / actresses who are relatively unknown to American audiences though Ken Watanabe could be recognizable given recent roles in The Last Samurai [ 2003 ] and Batman Starts [ 2005 ]. The function of this cast helps focus audience attention on the merits of the film itself and not on a cast of stars, and this helps, rather than obstructs, the film. As such, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a film most fans of the brand will completely enjoy.
To read movie reviews, watch movie trailers and see which movies are the best, check out cinemarv.com and also have a look at quotes from Moulin Rouge.
