Sakuran

Sure is colorful. There's a lot to write about when discussing this film but very little of it has to do with the story: In eighteenth-century Japan, a young girl is sold to a brothel by her mother; she's rebellious and tries to escape all the time; she's more talented and beautiful than all the other girls (suspension of disbelief required); she becomes an oiran (in the hierarchy of prostitutes, sort of like a four-star general in the army).

It's not that the story is bad or unimportant, it's that everything else about the film screams "Look at me! Look at me!" The sets and costuming, the soundtrack, and the casting of a mixed-race Polish/Japanese version of Courtney Love in the lead role all go against type. And one cannot help but notice that this is not Memoirs of a Geisha. Insight from the nearly sixty second montage of naked female breasts near the beginning of the film might be missed if one doesn't notice that the director Mika Ninagawa, the art director Namiko Iwashiro, the music director Ringo Shiina, the producer Chikako Nakabayashi, the scriptwriter Yuki Tanada, and the artist of the original manga Moyoco Anno are all women.

The film is beautiful to look at, if a little over-indulgent at times. No attempt is made to be true to the period. I don't speak Japanese, and subtitles are always deficient in nuance, but I'm sure the dialog is straight off the streets of contemporary Tokyo and not in any Edo period parlance. The mannerisms and delivery, and even the subtitles suggest this, and it's one of the things about the film I'm undecided about. I'm not generally a fan of costume dramas or period pieces so on the one hand I was interested in seeing this modernized production, but on the other hand I felt a sense of incongruity while watching it. The bold colors of the sets and costumes didn't bother me but the soundtrack is a little odd. Not so much in the style—which swims through many modern genres of pop, rock, and jazz—as in the reverb. The music often doesn't sound like it is in the same size room as the action that is taking place. I like Ringo Shiina's music, have a few of her solo CDs and those of Tokyo Jihen, the band she also plays in. It's not that I think the music is bad, or that it is too terribly out of place. I think the sound design could have been better, and I think that some of the folks who find the soundtrack a little jarring would be less put off by it if more attention had been paid to the overall sound design.

Finally, I was not won over by Anna Tsuchiya in the lead role. I'm sure casting her was a well-thought out conscious decision by the director and I also, in theory, think she fits the package the director was trying to deliver. It's not that she doesn't look 'traditionally' Japanese, whatever that is. And it's not that she lacks a certain elegance I've come to expect of these types of characters, although I'm not surprised by the omission of her doing any of the arty things these pre-geisha geisha types were supposed to be fluent in like music, poetry, dancing, or witty conversation. It might be that she just isn't a very good actress. These rock star cum actress types often possess great charisma that passes itself off as good acting in the right context. I'm not sure this is one of them. I hope I haven't spoiled it for potential viewers by bringing up Courtney Love, but that's what it felt like to me, a little vulgar and somewhere between disappointing and distracting. Tsuchiya is a lot more attractive in her own musical environment than she is in this film. I just didn't buy her as a sophisticated beauty who rises to the top. Maybe I'm just upset that Yoshino Kimura is given short-shrift in the fake eyelash department or that the truly beautiful and engaging Miho Kanno is dispatched with too early in the film.

This film, from the first frame, is visually stunning. The colors are so vibrant they jump out at you, kind of like the great "Memories Of Matsuko". The story relates the lives of courtesans, mostly Kiyoha, played by the beautiful Anna Tsuchiya. They picked the right actress for this part, she is as visually stunning as the colors. The story traces her life from childhood as a courtesan, her lovers and all the trials she goes through. The film has nudity in it, which makes sense in this film's context, but it doesn't appear too gratuitous. This is the kind of film you'd want to watch in a theater or on an hdtv. It makes you appreciate the director's aim more. All in all, a good to very good film, which held my interest. I have never seen Ms. Tsuchiya in a film before, but, based on this, I will. Go see it.

While watching Sakuran, I can't help but to chuckle at how long queues were formed, gawking from the outside, trying to get a taste of the cherry pie, as it somewhat mirrored my patiently waiting for the movie to be screened here, in any form, on the big screen. I had tried to get tickets to watch this during last year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, where director Mika Ninagawa was in attendance, together with actor Masanobu AndoXXX, but alas the tickets were sold out within minutes going online. It made my day to know that this year's festival had Sakuran in its lineup, and needless to say, this was one of two films shown during the festival that tickets were completely snapped up. And I guess waiting a few more days to the second last session of the fest is nothing compared to waiting for it for 18 months.

So what do I think about it? I thought it was an absolute delight, and well worth every minute of the torturous wait to feast my eyes upon it. For those who have watched Memoirs of a Geisha, comparisons will be inevitable, from storyline right down to every other aspect of film-making, and in my opinion, Sakuran trounces Geisha hands down. Narrative-wise, it dealt with similar themes and development of its lead character, with their being sold to slavery in a brothel, before their good looks meant being groomed for their inevitable role of economic contribution to their owner's coffers in the world's oldest profession. However, these are strong willed individuals who refuse to conform, and stories of such nature never fail to add a dash of conflicted romance to spice up the plot.

For historical buffs who want to know a little on the timeline and difference between the Geishas and the Oirans, the latter were high class courtesans meant for the pleasures of societal who's-who during the Edo period and were skilled in areas like dance, music and calligraphy, before the rise of the former group brought about an end to the Oirans, akin to an evolution of the role. The oirans operated from segregated "pleasure quarters" back then, which is like one big integrated resort filled with entertainment for pleasure. Both groups have elaborate rituals and rites, and in Sakuran, we get to see a grand procession of the top Oiran on impossible heels, together with her entourage being paraded, sort of heralding their arrival to the top, as well as to probably become a live advertising billboard.

Based on a manga, the protagonist of Sakuran is Kiyoha (played by rocker Anna Tsuchiya, who owned the role), who when young was a scruffy looking kid with attitude and a motor mouth, and we see her transformation into that of an Oiran, an epitome of elegance, but still stuck with that caustic, acerbic wit and tongue (pardon the pun). While she possesses some innate powers of seduction mastered from a young age of observation, which naturally propelled her to fandom and legendary status amongst pleasure seekers, she too like Sayuri of Memoirs, yearns for freedom and escape from bondage, and while having to deal with plenty of suitors, here ranging from Lords to Samurais, her heart inevitably belonged to one man who, as the saying goes, is always close by.

It centers around the love and life of a courtesan, and this movie would not have pulled it off if not for the very glamorous Anna Tsuchiya taking on the lead role, and giving the role a three-dimensional personality and dripping charisma all over the screen each time she comes on. With a flutter of the eyelash, or a whisper of her uniquely sounding voice, she owns this role, and is very much less of a bore given that she's not squeaky clean, nor a damsel-in-distress. She doesn't mince her words, and speaks her mind openly, which endears her, and is

But besides the acting front, with a whole supporting cast of wonderful actors bringing to life their respective characters, the movie is as strong on the technical end. Having a woman at the directing helm provided a very measured translation in bringing out the internal strength of a woman, and the art direction, costumes and sets too were pretty perfect. In fact, one of the earliest observations that strike you is that the colors are strikingly rich and saturated, and the gold fish and their tanks of different shapes and sizes, will make you wonder if you should go creative with your aquarium at home too. With an eclectic soundtrack of pop, rock, and even jazz to boot, there's never a dull moment in Sakuran as there's so much going on that you wish for the film to never stop going.

And I'll end it off with one more comparison with Memoirs of a Geisha for good measure - this film is less dramatic or epic in scale, but more than compensates for it with its excellent charismatic cast, and a lot more flair without sinking into the melodramatic, even though I had wished for a darker ending. Oh, and because the film wasn't framed properly during the screening, I had a field day with spotting countless of microphones popping up all over the place overhead, and in one scene with the spewing of blood, had seen two fingers and a hose doing the deed. While these moments didn't ruin the movie, it did however brought a little shine off movie magic.

Ninagawa Mika's "Sakuran" is a gorgeous, vibrant and simply beautiful movie. Stunningly visual, lavish and absolutely mesmerizing.

Based on manga writer/artist Anno Moyoco's "joyosei" (young woman's) comic series "Sakuran", the story tells of a young girl sold to a brothel in the red-light district of Yoshiwara by her indifferent mother (during the late Edo period) and her struggles to adapt to life as a Oiran (courtesan).

The rebellious girl is put under the care of a beautiful Oiran, Shohi (Kanno Miho). The girl is given the name Tomeki and is trained by Shohi in the ways of becoming a great courtesan. She suffers much at the hands of her new "family" but in time becomes a "hikkomi" (prostitute).

Her increasing popularity among the various Edo clientèle soon overshadows that of the current favorite Takao (Kimura Yoshino) much to her jealous disdain. Now given the more glamorous name Kiyoha, the young courtesan (Anna Tsuchiya) struggles with life as a Oiran while trying to find true love in a fake world. Eventually she achieves her goal of becoming a Yoshiwara star and assumes the new name of Higurashi but even this long sought after goal seems unsatisfying and she longs to find her own happiness.

While comparisons to Rob Marshall's 2005 "Memoirs of A Geisha" are inevitable (Geisha are not Oiran and vice versa) especially with regards to story, I think "Sakuran" is more stylistically similar to Sofia Coppola's 2006 "Marie Antoinette". Like "Marie Antoinette", "Sakuran" is set in the past but rather than present it in a dull, drab, dated fashion, Ninagawa takes the opposite approach and presents the Edo period as a glorious spectacle of color and flamboyance. The modern rock music soundtrack, use of modern Japanese and focus on spectacular fashion also add to the similarities. This is not a historical documentation but an artistic interpretation of life at the time not unlike movies like "Samurai Fiction".

Where "Memoirs of a Geisha" played more like a flawed theatrical fairy tale seen through the eyes of foreigners ("Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" comes to mind) "Sakuran" seems like a sensual and romantic Japanese manga come to life.

Photographer turned director Ninagawa's eye for detail and skills in photography are put to great effect in "Sakuran" and it really shows on screen. The world of "Sakuran" seem almost too beautiful to be real. Cinematographer Ishizaka Takuro should also be credited with the amazing camera work.

With fabulous production designs by Iwashiro Namiko and breath taking costumes and makeup by Iga Daisuke and Sugiyama Yuko "Sakura" is a good looking film.

The screenplay by Tanada Yuki and Anno Moyoco tries its best to adapt the long manga story to film and does so admirably. Like her equally talented husband, Anno Hideaki (Evangelion, Cutie Honey Movie), Moyoco's flair for visuals do tend to overshadow the story a bit. I would have loved to see more of the mundane everyday lives of the Oiran as well as Kiyoha/Higurashi's struggles at trying to be accepted.

Rock idol/model Anna Tsuchiya is an unconventional beauty (she reminds me a lot of Christina Ricci) and is definitely very good here. While her rebel role is not all too dissimilar from her previous role in fan favorite "Shimotsuma Monogatari" (AKA Kamakazi Girls), "Sakuran" does give her more of an opportunity to display her very natural and playful acting style. I hope that she is given more roles in the future that showoff more of her acting talents as indeed it is a waste to have her type-casted in the same type of "Jajauma" character.

The modern soundtrack by Shiina Ringo (which mixed jazz, rock, pop and even cabaret) was also very good and surprisingly didn't really seem that much out of place amid the Edo era Yoshikawa setting.

"Sakuran" is definitely a surprising delight and a very good debut for Ninagawa who is certainly poised to become another shining star in the Japanese cinema world.

If you pick up "Sakuran" with the intention of enjoying another artsy, sensitive depiction of geisha life, you're dead wrong. "Sakuran" is a movie about *oiran* life (for those who do not know: geisha are entertainers, and oiran are prostitutes). As such, you're not going to watch a bunch of well-behaved and manicured women. Here, you'll see bitch-slaps, coarse language, and a hard-ass main character with a rather modern view of life who can't really fit in with her peers. In other words, despite the fact that its setting is in the past, it's a fitting movie for the modern woman to relate to.

"Sakuran" is based on a Japanese manga series, so many scenes in the movie are shown with many colors. It's beautiful in its own way, though movie purists aren't going to like it. It also has a lot of pop music in it, which purists are going to find jarring and dissonant with the period depicted. However, the target audience is clearly not them, and the movie will treat them with the same disdain that the main character (herself played by a pop star turned actress) shows toward the high-class, privileged lords and samurai.

The movie makes many statements about the Japanese class system and politics, too, but it doesn't exactly shove them down your throat, either. In the end, the movie is about the freedom to choose love in spite of the expectations of class and vocation. Don't take it too seriously, and enjoy the ride.