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Designated for 6 Oscars, and winner of three, Memoirs Of A Geisha holds its own as one of the finest films of 2005. Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Robin Swicord does a superb job of evolving Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel to the big-screen. This film has all the elements of a classic drama envy, politics, intrigue, prohibited love, and an abundance of internal conflicts of varying types. Viewers in search of a typical Hollywood blockbuster will be greatly disappointed, but those who appreciate a good character-driven film which takes the time to develop the inducements of its cast and build to a climax will discover a splendid gem which offers a welcome escape from fact. 

Memoirs Of A Geisha is narrated from the perspective of a nine year-old Japanese girl named Chiyo [ Ziyi Zhang ]. Born into a poor fishing family, Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their pa. Chiyo is shortly separated from her sister and finds herself in a geisha house where her new master, Mum [ Kaori Momoi ], will identify her destiny. Although only nine years old, Chiyo sparks the anger of the much older Hatsumomo [ Li Gong ], the most celebrated geisha of the house, who accurately perceives Chiyo as a fitting rival. 

Li Gong is glorious in her role as the vindictive, yet human, adversary, and her character manages to have Chiyo removed from geisha faculty and condemned to the life of a standard slave. However, Chiyo’s life takes a turn for the better following a chance encounter with The Boss [ Ken Watanabe ]. Surrounded by 2 geisha, The CEO extends his kindness to Chiyo, prompting her to develop a lifetime crush and to fantasize of one day becoming a geisha herself. Chiyo’s wish comes true when a geisha from another house, Mameha [ Michelle Yeoh ], offers to personally educate her, setting up an inevitable conflict between the two and Hatsumomo and her understudy. Meanwhile, the horrors of war and her lifetime pursuit of The Chairman’s love burden Chiyo with extra difficulties. Though some traditionalists and geisha mavens might take issue with the portrayal of geishas in general, the film certainly offers a fascinating glance into a world and culture most Americans will find interesting. In spite of its 2 hour and twenty five minute running time, Memoirs Of A Geisha is an enticing film that appears much shorter in duration. Like most films evolved from a novel, people that liked the book will either love it or hate it depending on how well they understand the switch to the big-screen. But even those that hate it must admit that the costume and set design are exquisite and leave small room for improvement. On occassion, the cast speaks with heavy accents which can be confusing at moments, but overall, the scenes flow well from one to the following. With the exception of some Yankee actors near the conclusion [ Ted Levine of Monk fame plays a US Army Colonel ], the majority of the cast is composed of Chinese and Japanese actors/actresses who are relatively unknown to Yankee audiences although Ken Watanabe might be recognizable given latest roles in The Last Samurai [ 2003 ] and Batman Begins [ 2005 ]. The employment of this cast helps focus audience attention on the merits of the film itself and not on a cast of stars, and this helps, rather than hinders, the film. As such, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a film most fans of the genus will thoroughly enjoy.

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