A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, Dreamworks SKG/Columbia Pictures/Spyglass Pictures, Dir. Rob Marshall - Starring Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Kôji Yakusho, Kaori Momoi, Youki Kudoh, Gong Li, Suzuka Ohgo, Kenneth Tsang, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Thomas Ikeda, Randal Duk Kim
'Memoirs of a Geisha' is a lavish production, with Japanese decor sets that would make Martha Stewart cry, and such an irenic atmosphere that it could lull one to sleep. And lull me to sleep it did. Having taken what seems to be a sabbatical after his debut hit 'Chicago', Rob Marshall has a vision of the pagoda-laden villages of Japan. But just a vision isn't enough to support what's supposed to be a very meditative story. Instead, we get the waterfalls and flower petals, but are left for broke when it comes to a robust novella. I got everything I wished against: an Americanized concoction of a Zhang Yimou film. 'Memoirs' is a tragedy - a commercialized, full-blown sell-out of foreign cinematic commodities that often give the film market a certain glimmer that is needed. Obviously this is not the death of these movies, but it's quite a shame went the American market capitalizes from the tenderness that the Asian artists have mastered. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' is a simple-minded yarn cached in composure.
Sayuri (Zhang) was taken from her impoverished roots as a child to be sold to a geisha-house, in hopes of becoming a powerful mistress of pleasure and the arts, or at least maintain a steady job as a house-keeper. Treated ruthlessly by her landlady and the head geisha Hatsumomo (Li), Sayuri is tired of being thrown around, and longs for her family. One day, she is wandering around the town and has an encounter with a handsome and very young chairman (Watanabe), who - surrounded by geishas - gives her a simple glimmer of hope to do something with her life. From that day on, Sayuri has one hope in life - to be one of the few geishas to accompany the Chairman in life, perhaps to even become his wife. So Sayuri rises to the challenge of the geisha lifestyle, and is soon adopted by geisha queen Mameha (Yeoh), who trains her and eventually leads her to her dream: the greatest geisha in all of Japan, and coming closer to her love - the Chairman.
One of the few controversies with 'Memoirs' has been its casting - that the three main female roles are Japanese characters played by Chinese actresses. In hindsight, this does not bother me - the trio are all high-rate and talented women, but what bothers me is their transition from Chinese to American film. The change is monumental, so you can obviously notice the affect it has on many of the cast members. Ziyi Zhang, who blew me over with her stunning performance in 'House of Flying Daggers', is subtle yet fluid on camera, especially in her geisha face. But when talking in real-time, the character Sayuri seems out-of-place and over-emotional - sometimes it's hard to believe her reactions to everything. Gong Li is wonderful as Hatsumomo, an ugly stepsister of sorts with a temper that could trigger telekinetic powers. Gong Li is a true beauty, and it is her role's typical juxtaposition with the character Sayuri that really stands out - beauty means nothing, but "how you use it", I suppose. Ken Watanabe makes a wonderful feature as the Chairman, a cheerful and prime romantic lead for Zhang.
'Memoirs' is a very pretty movie, no doubt. The audience watches Ziyi Zhang gaze upon the mountain, her hair blowing briskly in the wind and sometimes in her face, and then she throws a handkerchief into the ravine. How placid, you think, how truly calming it is watch this - the environment is perfect. But who cares? Yes, the environment is very calming, but no connection between the players and their stage seems to exist. One of the many impressive feats of Asian films such as 'House of Flying Daggers' and even the ferocious 'Ong-Bak' is how the director finds common ground between the characters and their world: a balance between the goods of the earth with the will of the human. Rob Marshall just puts actors in pagodas and flowery gardens, but nothing is achieved. There is much deeper ground to be covered in 'Memoirs' story, from a confident narrative of the geisha life to a better understanding of Japanese culture. But it seems all director Marshall can rely on is architecture from a P.F.Chang's restaurant and other recorded stereotypes.
Regardless, the movie showcased some good performances here and there, but never really achieved its goal as a soft and matured foreign epic. 'Memoirs' had potential, but its director and producers (Steven Spielberg being one of them) did not seem to put enough patience into the production, because what I have seen is a diluted love story told for centuries - and it's really getting old now.
