Customer Reviews

Memoirs Of A Geisha

5 star:		(144)
4 star:		(103)
3 star:		(62)
2 star:		(32)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

I'm not sure we're all seeing the same movie here. One comment I keep hearing is that the actresses did not perform well, and I cannot comprehend it. Ziyi Zhang especially gave one of the best performances I have seen in years, at least. Just look at her physically shaking during her last scene with Ken Watanabe. This complete giving over to the emotion of the character is nearly unsurpassed in anything I've seen in years, and I'm a huge cinemaphile. That's not to mention the flawless way she carried the postures and demeanor of the child star that played her young self through-out, giving a sense of consistency that I have almost never seen done this well. It's early impossible to remember that these two actresses are not really the same person with the way their performances meshed. So, maybe it's the reserved nature of Asian women, and the dualing of this nature with a sense of individuality and self-expression that people are interpreting as "not understanding the character"?
All I can say is, the cinematography and settings are gorgeous, as are the actresses (and what a stellar cast!), the performances are great (maybe the bar has been lowered so much lately that the degree of skill brought to the screen here is more than some people can handle). That's the only reason I can offer for the bad reactions I have heard.
The story is involving, and very realistic in terms of human nature. The romance is wonderful. There are flashes of humor and some of the script is pure poetry (and as a poet you can believe me on that!) I could go on all day, but let me just say this.
The movie is awesome, and the time flew by for me. It is not the over-wrought heart-rending sap that some may want it to be, but it is very true to the way most people behave, and especially in the reserved manner of the Japanese. In my book everyone involved in this deserves a huge round of kudos, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautiful things, and incredibly realized films.

Memoirs of a Geisha is a stunning movie. I haven't read the book, but now wish I had. The movie is close to 2 1/2 hours long, but the story and scenery are so captivating, it seems so much quicker. The costumes are fantastic and it's no wonder they are nominated for Oscars.
It tells the story of a little girl called Chiyo who along with her older sister, is sold by their father who has no money. The people who bought her, want to make her a geisha so she goes off to school but brings disgrace to herself and therefore they make her their slave. Upon chance, she meets a kind man who buys her a sweet cherry ice cone. She never forgets him and sees him again by chance some years later. Now she has hope and learns again (in a crash course) how to be a geisha and her new name is Sayuri.
The story that unfolds from there has ups and downs but the ending is so moving that of course I cried my head off. The setting is beautiful and it made me want to go and visit Japan. The music too is lovely and I hope they do get some Oscars next week because it's a very deserving movie. There is also a great performance by an actress called Li Gong who plays 'Queen Bitch' Hatsumomo and look for a small role played by Ted Levine who we normally see in a funny role as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in Monk.
Beautiful move that you absolutely have to see. (Especially on the big screen if you still can).

I read the novel this film is based on and loved it, so I was looking forward to the movie when it was released. I was pleased to see that the movie followed the book very closely. The film was absolutely beautiful, with arresting shots of the geisha as they went about their daily tasks and beautiful pans of the gorgeous faces of the actresses. There were also a few nice shots of (what was supposed to be) the Japanese countryside.

The film follws Chiyo (Sayuri), a young girl from the country who grows to become one of the most celebrated geisha in pre-war Japan. I know that there was a big stink when the film came out that some of the actresses cast were Chinese, rather than Japanese, but I say phooey on that. You cast an actor to play a role. I've seen plenty of straight actors turn in wonderfully nuanced performances of gay characters. I've seen plenty of older actors play roles that were younger than they were, and vice versa. So what? The director's job is to find the right actor for the role, and that actor may or may not be the exact nationality referred to in the script. The point is, does this performer tell the story?

And the performers in Memoirs of a Geisha definitely do. Ziyi Zhang (Chiyo/Sayuri), Li Gong (Hatsumomo), and Michelle Yeoh (Mameha) all give their characters a wonderful depth and subtext, and I really enjoyed them. I know that some critics also huffed about the movie being Westernized, with the actors all speaking English, etc. Wha . . . ? The movie is based on a book written by Arthur Golden, a middle-aged white guy from Tennessee. How can you get more Western than that? Anyway, I personally found the film to be a visual jewel with fabulous performances. I recommend it.

I have never read the book.
Ok, now that's out of the way - this film was outstanding. It's mesmerising score from the incomparable John Williams adding weight to the perfect performances from all the lead actors and the impeccable direction of Rob Marshall.
Ziyi Zhang is wonderful. I have loved her every since seeing House of Flying Daggers. Her ethereal beauty adding unspoken weight to the mammoth role of Sayuri.
Maybe, if I had read the book, I would have been disappointed in the film as other reviewers have been. But, coming to the story cold, I was simply captivated.
If you've read the book I guess you should rent this first; but, if you haven't then buy this film. If you love sweeping epics then this is a must-own.

Could any film capture the beauty and eroticism of the geisha? I wondered before I saw the film. I've spent years studying and writing about the geisha and their tantalizing walk, elegant mannerisms, and striking, ageless beauty. The geisha exudes an air of mystery that both entices and seduces.

Fashionista or femme fatale? Who are the geisha really?

Gei-sha literally translates to "art person." They are trained musicians, conversationalists, and party hostesses all rolled into one. They are not prostitutes. In fact, the first geisha were men. Yes, men.

Around 1730 during Japan's Edo period (1601-1868), only men were allowed to entertain in the pleasure quarters housing the courtesans. Women soon took over the role of geisha, demonstrating their mastery of arts of conversation, song, dance, and musical instruments. The geisha were known strictly as entertainers and were prohibited from engaging in sex with customers. That was the job of the courtesan. Geisha also "dressed down," wearing simple and elegant kimonos so as not to compete with the courtesan. Geisha weren't even allowed to sit near the courtesan's customers. They were true artisans making a living at their craft.

I loved the way Rob Marshall portrayed the geisha training in the film. I was swept away by the beauty and lushness I saw portrayed on the screen. As many have criticized, the makeup and costumes may not be authentic and the sets Hollywood-bound, but the story of Sayuri transcends all these factors. The geisha sisterhood is a tradition that crosses over to all cultures and has an effect on each of us. We are all sisters.

I believe the film bridges the differences between East and West by telling a dramatic and fascinating story in such a way that every woman can embrace it. Is it a fairy tale? Maybe. But that's what pleases the heart most.

And fairy tales last forever.

I am getting rather tired of reading about how the movie is so terrible when compared to the book. I do agree that the book is absolutely amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment while reading it. I do, however, recognize that this is a movie based on a book and therefore when I saw it I was not expecting that it would be identical to the book. I did enjoy this movie - it is breathtaking to watch visually and essentially the story is pretty faithful to that of the book. What I find makes the biggest difference is that when watching the movie you lose some of the inner dialogue and description of all the events that are present in the book. Also, being that it is a movie some corners had to be cut in order to keep the length of the film closer to 2 hours as is usually the case. Since I have read the book I know the story quite well and am able to enjoy the movie for what it is. In my opinion I think it is a beautiful compliment to the book and I will enjoy watching it again since it is now a part of my DVD collection.

I read the book then watched the movie. The book is much more detailed, as they usually are, but the movie measured up to the book at a faster pace, yet still keeping to the story. I thought both were superb. I liked being able to put a face to all the characters, it made it more interesting for me. I thought the dancing in the movie was beautiful, classy, and hypnotic. Both the book and the movie just drew me in and I had a hard time putting down the book and watched the movie alone and with my husband.

I enjoyed it. I recommend reading the book first and then watching the movie.

I finally watched MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, which I skipped when it was out in movie theaters. I read the book a few years ago and enjoyed it immensely. The movie did not impress me. It has some lovely photography, costumes, and scenery. I failed to connect to actress Suzuka Ohgo's portrayal of the Geisha. Mostly, I felt that the film presented a fairy tale version of the Japanese settings. When I read the book, I had a visceral reaction to the characters and locations. The film was simply too perfect. I also questioned whether we were seeing authentic Geisha makeup -- the girls looked awfully "natural" in some of the scenes.

In any case, the GEISHA movie is not horrible. It simply does not succeed in making that world tangible to the audience. Instead, it presents a fairy tale version of the story when I would have rather had more reality. Plus, the acting of the main roles did not make me emotionally connect to the character's journeys -- a big mistake.

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)

Please ignore the people who post about technical inaccuracies about this film, just watch it for the cinematography and the performances. you will not be disappointed.
just a regular guy and his opinion