Memoirs of a Geisha Review

After being sold into slavery by her parents as a child, Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang) is resigned to a life of hardship and abuse in Kyoto. Raised amongst geishas, including the bitter Hatsumomo (Gong Li), Sayuri dreams of their educated and venerated lifestyle. When an unexpected benefactor (Michelle Yeoh) comes looking for Sayuri, the frightened girl begins her arduous training to become a geisha. Eventually, Sayuri rises to power, commanding the attention of every man she meets, and enraging Hatsumomo further. Nevertheless, all the adoration in the land can't help satisfy Sayuri's love for the one person, the Chairman (Ken Watanabe), who was kind to her while she was a frightened little girl.

Based on the best-selling book, Memoirs of a Geisha is also director Rob Marshall's long awaited follow-up to Chicago. It might sound absurd, but Marshall is an appropriate choice for "Geisha," as the story centers on the theatricality of these women, and how they hide their emotions in the pursuit of performance. Meticulously produced and detailed, Geisha is a feast for the eyes, but cold to the touch. In the end, Geisha is more of a soap opera than a real movie, with each character scheming and plotting against others, trying to inflict pain and/or sorrow on each other.

7 out of 10