Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Memoirs of A Geisha


I ventured out into the Noreaster we’re having last night to check out “Memoirs Of A Geisha” starring Zhang Ziyi. I’ll venture out into anything to check out a flick as long as it doesn’t star Jessica Alba after seeing her in 2 flicks I’ve learned the woman needs to be more selective when making movies…her stuff is toxic. Don’t even get me started on “Honey” everyone involved in that flick even the catering crew deserves to be bitched slapped ‘til their faces go numb but that’s just my opinion.

Memoirs Of A Geisha based on the Arthur Golden novel,unfolds from the perspective of Chiyo (Zhang Ziyi), a girl who, at the age of nine, is sold into slavery to a geisha house in Kyoto in 1929. A beautiful child with blue eyes Chiyo is initially reluctant, but in order to survive she must finally invent and cultivate an image of herself as a desirable geisha. The head geisha of her house, however, Hatsumomo (Gong Li), is bitterly jealous of her and abuses her at every opportunity. Eventually she’s taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's rival, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), by far the most famous and successful geisha in their district. Under Mameha's tutelage, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, the most legendary geisha in the nation, skilled in all areas, from conversation to dance, and sought after by seemingly every man alive...except for the one whom she has secretly longed for since she began her training, The Chairman (Ken Watanabe)--a man who showed her kindness at a time when her view of the world had turned the most bleak. Now as World War II approaches, Japan stands at the brink of a new era and Sayuri must confront the possibility that history will leave all that she has worked for behind. The book, Memoirs of a Geisha, was heavily praised for its compelling story and strict adherance to historical accuracy.

When the movie first came out I had read in the paper that the Chinese public was very upset that the leading Geishas were being played by Chinese actors given China and Japan’s history. One Chinese citizen was even quoted as saying that Zhang Ziyi the Chinese star of the movie, “deserved to be hacked to death and even that was too good for her.” OUCH!! Well death threats not withstanding all of the actors were fantastic in this movie. I loved the movie, found it a little disturbing but that was just me the audience around me clapped when it ended. It was a fantastic flick the cinematography was off the hook! I tend to notice stuff like that when I watch a movie.



Posted by @ 9:38 AM
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