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DVD Memoirs of a Geisha (Widescreen 2-Disc Special Edition)
Chicago director Rob Marshall's pretty but empty (or pretty empty) film has all the elements of an Oscar® contender: solid adaptation (from Arthur Golden's bestseller), beautiful locale, good acting, lush cinematography. But there's something missing at the heart, which leaves the viewer sucked in, then left completely detached from what's going on.
It's hard to find fault with the fascinating story, which traces a young girl's determination to free herself from the imprisonment of scullery maid to geisha, then from the imprisonment of geisha to a woman allowed to love. Chiyo (Suzuka Ohgo), a young girl with curious blue eyes, is sold to a geisha house and doomed to pay off her debt as a cleaning girl until a stranger named The Chairman (Ken Watanabe) shows her kindness. She is inspired to work hard and become a geisha in order to be near the Chairman, with whom she has fallen in love. An experienced geisha (Michelle Yeoh) chooses to adopt her as an apprentice and to use as a pawn against her rival, the wicked, legendary Hatsumomo (Gong Li). Chiyo (played as an older woman by Ziyi Zhang), now renamed Sayuri, becomes the talk of the town, but as her path crosses again and again with the Chairman's, she finds the closer she gets to him the further away he seems. Her newfound "freedom" turns out to be trapping, as men are allowed to bid on everything from her time to her virginity.
Some controversy swirled around casting Chinese actresses in the three main Japanese roles, but Zhang, Yeoh and Gong in particular ably prove they're the best for the part. It's admirable that all the actors attempted to speak Japanese-accented English, but some of the dialogue will still prove difficult to understand; perhaps it contributes to some of the emotion feeling stilted. Geisha has all the ingredients of a sweeping, heartbreaking epic and follows the recipe to a T, but in the end it's all dressed up with no place to go.--Ellen A. Kim
Review(s): DVD Memoirs of a Geisha (Widescreen 2-Disc Special Edition)
Extremely Beautiful and Exotic ... Scenery and Story
Rob Marshall the director engaged the author Arthur Golden to assist in making his book come to life on the screen. It is a visually stunning artistic masterpiece. The landscapes of Japan are shown in their exotic magnificence with long shots and skilled cinematography. The entire story can not be put on screen but the most unique and intriguing aspects of Chiyo's story were chosen and come to life. Chiyo is a young girl of 9 years who is sold along with her sister to a Geisha house in Kyoto, to be trained for the Geisha lifestyle. Her mother is ill and dies. Her father, a simple fisherman, can not cope with raising two young daughters. He does what he thinks is best to ensure their place in the world.
Chiyo has distinctive alluring eyes which set her apart from her peers - they will likely ensure her popularity and fame, if she develops the skills associated with the geisha training. Her eyes create jealousy in the Geisha named Hatsumomo, whose working skills and talents provide the money to support the lives of everyone associated with the establishment which bought Chiyo. A rivalry develops within the establishement over who will be chosen as successor to Mamasan/Mother, the owner of the Geisha house. Mother had no daughters of her own. She keeps Hatsumomo and the geisha trainees guessing as to her plans. She is a skilled businesswoman and plays her cards very close-fisted ...
Chiyo feels locked up and imprisoned in the Geisha establishment. She wants very badly to see her sister, Satsu. Hatsumomo, the head Geisha uses this knowledge against Chiyo. Hatsumomo is a selfish spoiled Geisha -she treats the young trainees badly as she looks to satisfy her every whim. Chiyo manages to escape the establishment looking for her sister and by pure chance meets a kindly gentleman in the park who lends her his handkerchief and is the first person to show her kindness since she came to Kyoto. She never forgets his face and longs to meet him again ... when she is full-fledged Geisha ...
Her wishes come true much later ... In this instance, despite being punished for escaping the establishement, some kind of miracle brought Mameha, a very famous Geisha to ask to train Chiyo. She takes her under her wing and Chiyo becomes Mameha's "little sister". A strong rivalry develops between Hatsumomo and her little sister nick-named "Pumpkin" (due to her round face) and Mameha and Chiyo. Mameha has connections and uses various techniques to bring Chiyo to the attention of famous patrons of the Tea houses where the Geisha perform and entertain. Chiyo is renamed "Sayuri" and performs a beguiling dance for the patrons at a party which establishes her as ready for "bidding" ... Very wealthy patrons bid for the right to her "mizuage" (virginity). The higher the price, the more famous and established a Geisha she becomes. Mameha uses her expertise to ensure Chiyo/Sayuri's bids go higher and higher. Hatsumomo uses all her power to try to prevent this and get Pumpkin her "little sister" to be the most popular and recognized newest Geisha ... Through Mameha's help, Sayuri manages to gain recognition and bring in high bids. Her fame is established. She does indeed meet the Chairman, the man who was kind to her in the park whom she discovers is the Director of the Imawura Electric Company. But due to his personal relationship and honor debt which he owes to his partner Nobu, it is Nobu with whom Sayuri must develop and cultivate a friendship ... Sayuri's rivalary with Pumpkin continues as Sayuri's popularity triumphs. The complexity of their rivalry causes grief and heartache to Sayuri ... as Pumpkin knows exactly the right time to strike a blow to her former friend's plans. This film provides a historically accurate portrayal of the lives of the Geisha at a time when world political events come crashing down on Japanese society. The changing social and economic structure of the country affects the lives of everyone in ways unimaginable. Fortunately, the conclusion of World War II brings about good fortune for Sayuri and her relationship with the beloved Chairman of her dreams ...
Gong Li plays Hatsumomo to perfection, it is excellent casting. The young Chinese girls who play Chiyo and Pumpkin are superb in their roles. Ziyi Zhang plays the adult Chiyo/Sayuri with great depth of feeling and is highly believable as perhaps the most famous Geisha of Kyoto ... Unfortunately, Michelle Yeoh who plays Mameha comes off as too business-like, she does not exude the beauty and charm which are attributed to her character. Occasionally, the story is told in a two-dimensional manner which makes the characters seem less warm and a bit distant. This is why I deducted one star. Never-the-less, overall this film is a tremendously beautiful production worth viewing. The subject matter and cinematography over-ride any other considerations. This film is an intriguing and wonderful entry into the well kept secret of the Geisha lifestyle. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
One Of The Best Films Of 2005!.
I want to try & keep this short and sweet. I seen this film last year on December 24, 2005. I really enjoyed this film, thanks to the wonderful performances especially by the Meryl Streep of China Gong Li, the new Gong Li, Ziyi Zhang and legendary Martial Arts actress Michelle Yeoh. The film in the begining follows two sisters, the older one is sold to the pleasure distract and the other with the water colored eyes to a Geisha house, also known as the Okiya. As a child Chiyo later played by Ziyi Zhang meets a very nice & charming man named "The Chairman", from then on Chiyo makes a promise to herself to become a great Geisha one day, because in that moment of him being nice to her, she fell in love with him. Since Chiyo has beautiful blue eyes, the most requested & top Geisha played brillantly by Gong Li gets jealous of her, worried that one day Chiyo will push her out of the lime light and the house, Hatsumomo (Li) comes up with all kind of dirty little tricks that could get Chiyo kicked out of the Okiya. After Chiyo becomes the most requested Geisha in Japan, mother (Kaori Momoi) the owner of the Okiya names Chiyo now known as Sayuri the heir of the house, Hatsumomo trys to finally put a end to it all by trying to burn the Okiya down. Ever notice that it always ends bad for Gong Li's characters?. After all that the movie does start to drag until the very end when Sayuri tells The Chairman how she feels, the story in many ways is very sad, at the same time it's also like a Cinderella story. I totally love it.
"Geisha" Suffers By Not Showing The Heart Of The Woman Beneath The Makeup
Having read "Memoirs of a Geisha," I was expecting great things from the film version. Positioned as a heavyweight Oscar contender last year, it's chances were derailed by generally moderate to unenthusiastic reviews. I, therefore, decided to give it a pass in the theaters and catch it later with fresh eyes. Well, there is good news and bad news with "Memoirs"--but probably much of what I have to say won't be "new" news
"Memoirs" is far from an inept picture. It is absolutely stunning. The visuals, art direction, cinematography, costumes--it's all top notch. Technically speaking, this is a very accomplished film. Anyone who has an interest in these aspects will be greatly rewarded. I, also, thought the performances were quite good. I know there was a bit of controversy about the actual nationalities of the actor's involved--but this was not something that affected my impression of the film. It's not particularly unheard of in Hollywood to put "name" talent into your picture. If having these accomplished international actors helped "Memoirs" get it's backing, that's just a realistic part of Hollywood as a business.
While I did think the performances were dignified, there was just something a little lifeless about the movie. I watched with interest throughout the film, but I never really felt any emotion for the proceedings. It's pretty, but somewhat empty. Only Gong Li as a supercharged villain seemed to be having any fun. I think everyone was so concerned with making an austere "classic," they forgot the energy and the heart and the passion. I wanted to be swept up, but it never happens. I got detached admiration, instead.
Look, I'm not going to be super critical. It's a bit unfair when people say the movie has ruined the book, etc. You're always treading dangerous ground when you adapt a beloved novel to the big screen and the inevitable comparisons are often unjust. I'll just say that the film version of "Memoirs" had all the potential to be a powerful modern romantic epic. But for all the lessons we get about Geishas, ultimately all we're left with is the protocol and not a glimpse of the real woman underneath the makeup. It's still interesting, but it's not moving.
I'd rate this at 3 1/2 stars, which I'll round down in this case for the lost opportunities.
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