Memorie di una geisha

Looking over previous comments here, it is clear that this is a very polarizing movie experience, one that seems to put "Syriana" to shame in that realm. Director Rob Marshall has taken a best selling novel and turned out a feature film that it appears some people love and some absolutely hate. Count me in the first category, but allow me to indulge the critics, too.

First, this isn't a typical Hollywood film. Despite popular western misconceptions about Geishas, there's no sex, almost no violence and beyond that, there's nearly two and a half hours of women's problems that many men may find hard to relate to. This is not "Desperate Housewives" or even "All my Children." This is about deceit, treachery and rivalries as much as it is about a little girl who gets sold into bondage by her impoverished Japanese family. Its also about a lifelong search for love in a society in which people apparently can't just step up and make frank declarations of devotion to one another. This movie is in a word "complicated" and that is going to turn some American movie goers off.

But not all Asian film fans are raving about this movie either, some thinking it is a very superficial look at Japnese customs and others incensed that a movie that's about an important Japanese tradition should star three Chinese actresses. I cannot comment on either topic, since I know little or nothing about Japanese tradition and I don't know why Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yoeh and Gong Li were cast. They have been seen before by American audiences, but are hardly film stars in this country, so it wasn't as if they were going to draw in tons of fans on their names alone.

The only thing I can think of is, all three are fine actresses and they more than proved that in this film. If Gong Li does not get a best supporting actress nomination, there's no justice. And Zhang should probably get a crack at best actress for her work, as well.

All three just light up the screen.

But, I can understand in this age of political correctness, how some would be offended by the casting and how others might complain about the handling of the Japanese subject matter.

All I can say is, movie makers face trade offs and one is either targeting your film to a mass audience (and in America, that means a generally poorly educated audience) or "narrow casting" your film to people very well acquainted with the topic who will swoop down on any flaw. But that, when dealing with a topic like Japanese geisha culture, is a pretty small audience in America, too small to generate the kind of box office a film like this needs to pull in to pay for itself. From a purely Anglo, American, unschooled in Japanese culture standpoint, I think Marshall made good decisions. I hope he has not slighted Japanese culture too much, but I think he has made a suspenseful, captivating, enchanting film that does something a lot of films haven't in recent years.

He gave us a complex central character we can pull for throughout the film and for that, I thank him.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" ranks among my five best films of the year thus far, and deserves a best picture nomination.

As someone who read the book before watching the movie, I was pleased with the adaptation. The right parts were highlighted and felt the cuts made were necessary for length. The story is truly a tragically beautiful one, and the actors cast fit their characters. Great acting and some beautiful cinematography. Sayuri's dance scene was mesmerizing.

Marshall's adaptation of Golden's 'Memoirs of a Geisha' appears to be concise and a little tepid. It leaves out some crucial parts of the novel. Moreover, the characters in the novel are very well developed. The movie somehow fails to show this. I can understand that there were time constraints and the movie is already longer than the usual 2 hours but some important sequences, like the love story between the Chairman and Sayuri needed more development. As a director, Marshall does not do a bad job at all. He's the one who gives the film an enchanting feeling. With the spectacular visuals he presents a lot of subtle symbolism. Actually, what really makes 'Memoirs of a Geisha' watchable is that it's fascinating to look at. The dazzling colourful visuals and mesmerizing soundtrack are incredible. The shots of the landscape, the costumes, the choreography and the spectacular cinematography are breathtaking.

I wonder why three Chinese actresses were cast in the main roles? I can understand why this would upset some Japanese people. My Japanese friend joked that it was perhaps because Japanese actresses don't speak good English. Though, the most likely reason for Ziyi, Yeoh and Li's casting may be their international appeal (as they are quite well known throughout the world) and that Li and Yeoh are also accomplished actresses while Ziyi is kind of a star.

Among the performances, it is the supporting cast who stand out. Zhang Ziyi lacks the liveliness and curiosity of Sayuri. Ziyi seems to be too conscious of the fact that she's only acting. Even child actress Suzuka Ohgo, who plays young Sayuri, does a better job. Youki Kudoh gets more scope to perform near the end and does a decent job. Gong Li is superb as the wicked fiery Hatsumomo (but, sadly, her character is one-dimensional) and an enigmatic Michelle Yeoh is equally outstanding as the once divine geisha Mameha. Among the men, it is Kôji Yakusho who impresses as the brave but stubborn Nobu. Ken Watanabe is alright.

To sum it up, I loved watching 'Memoirs of a Geisha' mainly because it was very pleasing to the eyes. Marshall has handled plenty of sequences beautifully but it lacks a stronger heart (perhaps this is due to miscasting Zhang Ziyi). Having read the book, I'm not that disappointed as, even though some parts have been left out, not too much has been altered. Thus, it tries to stay true to the book. I think it also introduces the beauty of the ancient Japanese culture quite sensibly. Whether that feels real to some is another point.

Can a group of American men and Chinese actresses render the world of a Japanese geisha? The answer is yes, with stunning beauty … and regrettable flaws.

Truth be told, this movie was not as bad as its trailer led me to expect it to be. It had a story to tell (although it crumbles in the end),images to show, and material to present. There were ample displays of exquisite beauty -- the trailing tails of silk kimonos, the subtle allure of hand gestures, and the captivating scene of kabuki dance theater ...

On the other hand, the American director was not able to pull the Japanese out of Chinese actresses. (This movie was so crowded by famous Chinese idols that I found myself inadvertently searching for Joan Chen among the cast.) To be fair, all three main actors (Gong Li in particular) show strong performances that made me sympathetic to Rob Marshall's choices. However, they remain utterly Chinese throughout this movie. The look and accent are not the only problems. They lacked the kind of extreme femininity and excessive felicity of the delicately mechanical gesture and movements of traditional Japanese ladies you see in custom dramas of Japanese production. (Michelle Yeoh seems to be the only one trying a little bit of those, but it did not quite work for some reason.)

So, let me re-address the question: Can a group of American men and Chinese actresses render the world of a geisha? The answer, I guess, really depends on what you are looking for. If you would like a little bit of delight from an aesthetically pleasing picture with a dubious authenticity and realism, this movie delivers it. I would not say Rob Marshall failed completely. Memoirs of a Geisha is not the first, nor the last, movie that subjects another culture to the crude lens of American exoticism. It definitely is not the worst one.

In Japan of the 20's, the nine years old Chyio (Suzuka Ohgo) and her sister Satsu (Samantha Futerman) are sold by her fisherman father to a Geisha house in Miyako. Satsu is not accepted in the house and is sent to a brothel, and along the years, Satsu escapes from he brothel where she lived and the rebel Chyio is left alone, becoming a slave of a geisha. However, six years later, she learns how to become the geisha Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang) with the support of the successful Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), while fighting against the evil and jealousy of the wicked Hatsumomo (Gong Li). While still a child, Chyio falls in love with The Chairman (Ken Watanabe), and in the post-WWII, they meet each other, in a period o changes in Japan with the occupying American forces and the country completely destroyed.

The first half of "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a beautiful drama, telling the story of the country girl Chyio alone and adapting to a new life style in a house of geisha. Then, in the end of World War II, the screenplay becomes a soap-opera and the story becomes lesser and lesser attractive. However, the cinematography, the art direction and the costume design are amazing along the whole movie. But the cast speaking in English and keeping some Japanese words seems quite ridiculous for me. For such a careful production, this seems to be an unforgivable mistake. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Memórias de uma Gueixa" ("Memoirs of a Geisha")