Memoirs of a Geisha
Title: Memoirs of a Geisha / Sayuri
Year: 2005
Director: Rob Marshall
Main cast: Ziyi Zhang (Chiyo/Sayuri), Suzuka Ohgo (Young Chiyo), Li Gong (Hatsumomo), Michelle Yeoh (Mameha), Ken Watanabe (The Chairman), Youki Kudoh (Pumpkin), Tsai Chin (Auntie), Kaori Mmoi (Mother), Zoe Weizenbaum (Young Pumpkin), Kôji Yakusho (Nobu), Randall Duk Kim (Dr. Crab), Gary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Baron)
Premiere in Finland: March 3rd, 2006
Seen: March 3rd, 2006
It's funny how your expectations might end up turning out whole different from the actual afterward feelings. Ever since seeing the first preview of the filmatization of Arthur Golden's novel, I've looked forward to seeing the movie on the big screen. And now that I actually have, I find myself in puzzlement; Memoirs of a Geisha was, in fact, a slight disappointment.
Having finished the book only recently might have something to do with the odd thoughts inside my head right now. Considering that the events of the story were and are still quite fresh inside my head, I (unlike those who hadn't read the book) didn't find it hard at all to follow the storyline. With this, however, it was also easier for me to pay attention to the actual execution, and I'm unfortunate to say that it's the part that I was sort of disappointed with. Don't get me wrong; Rob Marshall has an impressing work history and amazing potential as a director, but even the visual beauty of the film wasn't enough to hide the things I found irritating. In short, whereas Peter Jackson and his group's solutions with the first movie of The Lord of the Rings trilogy ended up resulting in perhaps one of the most remarkable creations in the history of moving pictures, the way Marshall cut and reformatted the story of Memoirs of a Geisha won't, unfortunately, be worth a bouquet of roses. Unavoidably, the story was left cropped, and at the end, the characters remained more or less distant, even to me. Another problem was the language, which I found breaking the atmosphere totally. The pronounciation of the most of the cast wasn't exactly ear-pleasing either, although considering the backgrounds of the cast, this fact was understandable. Nevertheless, Michelle Yeoh (Mameha) did manage to do amazing job, and she ended up being both plausible and comfortable in her role. I admire determination like that. Of course, Memoirs of a Geisha isn't Yeoh's first English role ever, considering her role in one of the earlier James Bond movies (Tomorrow Never Dies) already back in the year 1997.
As mentioned earlier, Marshall did succeed in bringing visual candy before the viewer, and undeniably, some of the scenes were done quite well. One worth mentioning is little Chiyo's (Suzuka Ohgo) meeting with the Chairman (Ken Watanabe). The scene was one of my favourites in the whole book, and I was pleased that the case was the same in the movie. T, a friend of mine who sat next to me in the theatre and commented on the spelling mistakes in the subtitles several times, gave the Chairman a nickname because of this scene: the candy man. I found it really amusing and couldn't help but giggle at it.
Memoirs of a Geisha isn't a bad movie; it's a fascinating journey to a world foreign to us, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. But in spite of this, the characters and story remain distant to the viewer because of the hectic pace. The book is undoubtedly a classic which everyone should read, but whether or not the movie will be recognized as a jewel among its equals, I do not know. Even so, Memoirs is still quite a case, so I encourage you find out whether the movie is your cup of tea or not. But in order to get the most out of it, take my word and read the book first.
Maaria // March 4th, 2006
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