Movie: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (English, Japanese)
Director: ROB MARSHALL
Year: 2005
Country: America/Japan
Genre: Drama, Cult
Cast: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh
Duration: 2h 25m (app)

What’s an efficient machine if it can’t work? What’s a strong relationship if it can’t be loved? What’s in a mind if it can’t think? ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ falls deeply within one of these genres, trying hard to prove something where it isn’t. Rob Marshall of ‘Chicago’ fame directs this drama about a girl yearning to be a geisha to get closer to a man she loves.

Geisha, a Japanese entertainer with cultures and traditions of their own form an enticing cult to take notice and understand. But when handling a theme where you want to emote the style of Geisha life, it is highly necessary to maintain a balance between the information and the characterization. ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ neither dwells deeper into the geisha life nor does emphasize on the characterization and hence falls flat on a desultory script. But however saving graces of this film elevate the movie to such an extent that it isn’t just watchable, but enjoyable.

The young Cheiko after being sold by her family refuses to cope to the Geisha ways when she meets this stranger who turns her life and infuses in her a will to live. Slowly Cheiko moves up the geisha ladder looking to enjoy for eternity the fleeting warmth of the stranger. Mixed with this is the growing rivalry from one of her co-geisha and propping up philosophies at intervals.

After the studded ‘Chicago’ with the style and grandeur, ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ come more of a surprise from director, Rob Marshall. One could never understand what English dialogues were doing in a Japanese movie, though the swarm of Chinese stars in a Japanese movie don’t matter. An American director working on the lifestyle of a Japanese cult is quite astonishing but one could not help noticing the absence of long absorbing sequences where nature of the Geishas could have been emphasized.

Despite so many discontents there comes the savior to this movie in the form of one of the exhilarating camerawork ever witnessed in recent times and a wondrous art that seems to project a realistic-like picture of the japanese miyako. Soothing music by John Williams adds to the grace. Cinema being a visual medium, despite so many holes in the script the movies looks beautiful and warming due to the astounding camerawork of Dion Beebe. The different shades of Black that his camera captures with the excellent artwork of Patrick Sullivan and Tomas Voth, ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ makes a memorable watch never giving-in to the infested deficiencies.

After the interesting first half the movie swings from Geishas to rivalry to romance but the beauty of the movie diverts focus towards from all these negatives. The actors though totally foreign to English seemed to have put in so much of effort that their dialogue delivery jells in with so much of ease is definitely worth an applaud. Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh all play their part to the notch. Watching more native movies like Crouching Tiger.., Hero Rob Marshall’s direction despite its softness lacks that which is highlighted – ‘finesse’.

Camera and Acting form the saving grace of ‘Memoirs’ in fact lulling it far above where it should have been.

PROS
Cinematography, Art direction

CONS
Script.

COMMENTS
Enjoy it for the beauty because you won’t get anything else!

TAGLINE
Beautiful, but it takes more to be Great!

GRADING
Cinematography: A-
Art Work: above B+
Script: C
OVERALL: above B-

RATING: 6.9 / 10.0