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Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
23 December 2005 (USA)
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Plot:
Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars.
Another 17 wins
&
28 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(67 articles)
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User Comments:
A worthy big screen experience
more (522 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Suzuka Ohgo | ... | Chiyo |
 | Togo Igawa | ... | Tanaka |
 | Mako | ... | Sakamoto |
 | Samantha Futerman | ... | Satsu |
 | Elizabeth Sung | ... | Sakamoto's Wife |
| Thomas Ikeda | ... | Mr. Bekku |
| Li Gong | ... | Hatsumomo (as Gong Li) |
| Tsai Chin | ... | Auntie |
| Kaori Momoi | ... | Mother |
 | Zoe Weizenbaum | ... | Young Pumpkin |
| David Okihiro | ... | Shamisen Teacher |
| Miyako Tachibana | ... | Dance Teacher |
| Kotoko Kawamura | ... | Granny |
 | Karl Yune | ... | Koichi |
 | Eugenia Yuan | ... | Korin |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter and some sexual content.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
145 min | Philippines:140 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Finland:K-11 |
UK:12A |
Australia:M |
Singapore:PG |
Ireland:12A |
Czech Republic:12 |
Sweden:7 |
Argentina:13 |
Hong Kong:IIA |
Germany:12 |
Netherlands:MG6 |
Malaysia:18PL |
Malaysia:U (cut version) |
Indonesia:Dewasa |
Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) |
Brazil:14 |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Canada Video Rating/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) |
Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) |
France:Unrated |
France:U |
Singapore:NC-16 (special edition DVD) |
Iceland:L |
Hungary:14 |
South Korea:15 |
USA:PG-13 (certificate #41007) |
China:(Banned)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The film was heavily criticized by Asian critics for having Chinese actresses portraying the geishas. In reality, according to producer Lucy Fisher, the producers held an open day for audition for Japanese actresses to audition for those roles. None turned up and they had to turn to other Asian actresses for casting.
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: Sayuri is the Year of the Monkey, not the Rooster.
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Quotes:
Sayuri Narration:
If your honorable sister tells you to cut your leg, you cut your leg.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Dreamgirls' (#13.23)" (2006)
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Soundtrack:
Rira No Hanakage
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FAQ
Why did Mameha make Sayuri cut her thigh?What was the significance of the handkerchief?
What was that stuff being combed into Sayuri's hair?
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more (522 total)
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Going into the film, I had worries with all the slamming critics have given, even though I didn't read all of them in details. However, I'm happy to say it turns out to be one of more satisfying movie experiences of the year.
First I echo the sentiment that the film is simply technically perfect. The retro-mood it created had me immensed in the world of geisha from beginning to the end. It's very 1930 Shanghai like. The music score isn't as haunting as the one in CTHD, but it is still masterfully composed and fits in the background very well. It's worth seeing for the big screen experience alone. The story also never dragged, as each of the three parts flowed nicely. I normally don't like voice-over, but here it really held the movie together and helped to move the story along.
As for the accents, the problem has definitely been exaggerated. I was expecting a lot of unpleasant broken English to be spoken, but they all sounded fine to good, not just from the most fluent Michelle Yeoh, but Ken Watanabe, Youki Kudoh (who plays Pumpkin) and other supporting casts. Gong Li had a few awkward lines at the beginning, and Ziyi had more and is the one who had to try the hardest, but both pulled off admirably and didn't hurt their performances in the process.
Talking about performances, I think almost all of them did well. It's much more of an ensemble piece, and I was especially impressed by the young Sayuri and Ken Watanabe.
The main problem I have is with character development. It is a Cinderella story at heart, but the good and evil are too clear-cut and lack dimension. I also want to see more ups and downs for the competition between Ziyi and Gong Li. Gong did all she could, but the script didn't allow her to be a worthy opponent. Except for some verbal back-and-forth between the two and a few dirty tricks from Gong, there was no reason to believe why she was the most famous geisha in Japan before Ziyi arrived.
In addition, the Mother character is over-the-top and didn't fit the emotional aspect the film quite well, although she did provide some comical moments. The big dance scene had excellent buildup, but the execution of the dance felt flat. It lasted only about 30 seconds, while doubling that and making it more mesmerizing would have made the whole middle act more effective.
These flaws didn't overshadow the fact that what was put on screen worked for me. Will I be willing to watch it again with friends? In a heartbeat. Will I recommend it to others? Definitely. With that in mind, I give the film an A-.