nicholtl Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 A masterpiece, from start to finish. And quite surprisingly, from "Chicago" director Rob Marshall - talk about a departure from the norm! The true skill of his directorial abilities can most chiefly be noted in the fact that with the extremely heavy-hitting cast of Asian talent (the film is loaded with the biggest stars and names of Japan and China), they all portrayed their roles so perfectly, deftly, full of nuance and subtext, that they allowed for Marshall's vision to come through, despite all the characters being equally unique and powerful on-screen. That the ensemble cast complimented each other, allowing the beautiful story to move with pace, drama, and timing, without each actor or actress clamoring for more screentime, or attempting to upstage the next. The biggest comment critics and viewers alike have, is that the film, while visually gorgeous, is "too slow." I think they have their heads up their glory holes and are truly the babbling idiots we've grown to know and, sometimes, love (Ebert and Roeper, anyone?). When I watched the film the 1st time, I was so taken and gripped by the story, I barely had a moment to stop and admire the cinematography. Only the 2nd and 3rd time around viewing this film did I allow myself the chance. Yes, I actually saw this film 3 times, each time taking with me a different friend or group of friends. And each time, I loved every second of the movie. But when you do stop to soak in the cinematography, you will be blown away. Just wait until the final scene, in the tearoom garden. You will literally find yourself staring into a live watercolor canvas. I understand that for many Western audiences, the unspoken silences, the subtelties, and the wisely underplayed nuances are what make the film feel slow. However, that is precisely the nature of Asian culture. It's not what is being said, but what isn't. To see the soul-wrenching pain lingering in her eyes, to feel the slaying of his heart, to taste the salty tears welling beneath her pupils... Such emotion and power cannot be accurately conveyed when you're rushing from cut to cut, scene to scene, simply for the sake of "moving the story along." And for those in the industry, shaking their heads and thinking, "keep the MTV-style editing, cause the music will carry it...," well, it might wet your appetite to know that the score was composed by John Williams and cello solos played by the brilliant Yo-yo Ma. The next step for Hollywood is to now produce Asian-themed movies that do not center around martial arts of the mysteries of the ancient Orient. Memoirs of a Geisha has my highest, fondest recommendations. You owe it to yourself to see this film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalOg Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 It's a pleasure to read your reviews, keep it up. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 Why, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I read the book years ago and was impressed with the imagery and the glimpse into a culture that is little understood. I don't know if the story was an accurate portrayal of anything but I was intrigued. I just saw the movie this weekend and it was awesome. The cinematography was great, the costumes and scenery were beautiful, and although the story was not exactly something was "female empowering" by today's standards, it did show the strength of the female spirit. I would have to say this gets extremely low scores in the action/adventure/fight scene categories and the comedeic scenes are rather sparse, so I could understand why some would find it rather slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 I have a problem with Marshall not casting a Japanese actress--why is that? Just doesn't fit . . . Other than that, I agree that it is a beautifully made film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted December 30, 2005 Author Share Posted December 30, 2005 Yeah, the fact that half the main cast is Chinese was cause for a big uproar within the Asian American community. I'm not sure why these decisions were made, either. The performances were all stellar, although there are equally as many gifted Japanese actresses as well. Weird... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo33 Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 I only thing I will say about this movie is that the cinematography is breathtaking and the emotion is incredibly powerful that words cannot describe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted December 31, 2005 Author Share Posted December 31, 2005 Neo, when we gonna go grab that brewskie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Amy Posted January 5, 2006 Moderators Share Posted January 5, 2006 Yeah, the fact that half the main cast is Chinese was cause for a big uproar within the Asian American community. I'm not sure why these decisions were made, either. The performances were all stellar, although there are equally as many gifted Japanese actresses as well. Weird... This may not be a popular viewpoint, but I don't see what the fuss is about here. Movies are about acting, and actors pretending to be people they are not... Jewish people play Christians, vice versa, Italians cast as Native Americans, South Americans cast as Middle Easterners....well, I don't have proof of all of that, but I'm sure it happens with no one really giving it much thought. Heck, they even cast Anthony Hopkins as an African American in a movie. And I even recall Tara Reid playing a scientist once. And sometimes women play men! and so on.... Just a thought. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonrpayne Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 And I even recall Tara Reid playing a scientist once. Rofl, now that IS a stretch [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddvj Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 Amazing Movie. I actually didn't realize how good it was until the day after I saw it. That is the impact it had on me. It certainly opened my eyes to a bit of Culture that I never knew about. Before I saw this movie I thought that "any streetwalker who painted her face and wore a silk kimono could call herself a geisha." I thought they were simply high class prostitutes. It was interesting and sad to see that War, and possibly western influences destroyed what was once a proud tradition. On the other hand, the fact that this "proud" tradition involved what sometimes boiled down slavery and abuse was something the film did not shy away from showing. Truly excellent. This is a movie I would like to see again and again. I did not think this movie was too slow paced, I think that it is great that it didn't follow the cookie cutter formula for a Hollywood blockbuster. I think that movie critics don't feel they are doing their jobs if they don't criticize a movie, which is a shame. My only complaint is that the story was a bit hard to follow for someone who knows nothing about the culture. It wasn't until half way through the movie that I began to understand the hierarchy of the geisha, and I'm still not sure what the role/importance of the Danna is, for example. --------------------------- Ok, In which movie did Anthony Hopkins play an African American? Maybe a South-African, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Amy Posted January 12, 2006 Moderators Share Posted January 12, 2006 Ok, In which movie did Anthony Hopkins play an African American? Maybe a South-African, but... The Human Stain. Trust me, it was a stretch...even for him to pull off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMShawhan Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 It's all a conspiracy!! No, I agree. Though the actors and actresses chosen do a superb job, imo, they were hardly Japanese. Do we cast Antonio Banderas as an Irishman? I think not. But I liked the movie anyway. Of course I am biased because I found the movie more than slightly erotic. This is a work that we shouldn't discount simply for its obvious faults - namely the ethnic background of the actors. It is still a fine film with amazing cinematography. I'd see it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 Todd, a "danna," or a "dai-yin na" (I think it's spelled...), is somthing akin to a "sugar-daddy," to put it coarsely. A male benefactor. Although I'm assuming it doesn't come with the benefits a sugar-daddy would receive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I watched the movie but some time frames are very slow and some time frames seem to be a day (WWII breezed by) One thing though that did in fact bother me was watching all the Chinese characters playing Japanese rolls. I know my roommate had no clue (he is israeli) but I couldn't get over that a Chinese woman was playing a Geisha. BTW Chinese hatred runs deep against the Japanese, hence why there was an uproar. During WWII, the Japanese committed genocide, but unlike the Nazi which documented how many they killed, the Japanese kept no records or were destroyed. The Japanese claim to have killed 100,000 Chinese, Korean, Philippines, etc. The Chinese estimate 1 million Chinese alone. And it runs deep because there are still people that lived and remembers those atrocities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def Leper Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Yeah, the fact that half the main cast is Chinese was cause for a big uproar within the Asian American community. I'm not sure why these decisions were made, either. The performances were all stellar, although there are equally as many gifted Japanese actresses as well. Weird... I remember myself commenting on a similar casting situation with "Batman Begins" where a decidedly American genre piece is acted out by a largely UK cast. In the end, I don't think it made much difference to the audience. I pray that this isn't a case where all orientals are generic to the movie makers. Perhaps we can count on someone like Ang Lee to take us to China and look at how the economic revolution is affecting the culture? I've never quite gotten over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Eat Drink, Man Woman and would like to see him tell some contemporary stories that are closer to his roots than gay cowboys. (Do they have gay cowboys in Taiwan?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Bump! This movie will be out on DVD next Tuesday. It is worth a rental or in my case, it will be a keeper. Nick's review was all wet. [6] This movie rivals Sir David Lean's masterpieces. The script, cinematography and score are amongst the best that I have enjoyed in the past five years. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 buy if under 16 rent if above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Sound's like a good one Nicholti, we have Joy Luck Club and it did not seem very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Overrated. A decent movie, but doesn't this smack of "Pretty Woman," except with a gentle touch? Come on, we've seen it before, but with a different backdrop and a lengthier plot. A high-class ho falls in love. Will she get her man? The End. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.