Memoirs of a Geisha

In a Nutshell: Good. Very beautiful, just not much to it. The book was much more gripping. Would probably have been better if I hadn't read the book.

Quick Plot: Chiyo is sold into slavery as a child. She is sent to geisha school in hopes of recovering the investment in her. Can Chiyo become a famous geisha, wealthy enough to pay her debts and win the man of her dreams?

In Detail: A good movie, just not a great one. Very very beautiful to watch, and you are given plenty of time to look with the slow pace of the film. It is NOT slow in a bad way! Just not action oriented in the slightest, not even the "action scenes;" nothing wrong with that when it is done artfully and intentionally, as is the case here. The casting was suburb! Everyone looked and behaved just as I imagined they would. As I said, it probably would have been better to me had I not read the book. The "reveals" did not have any impact since I knew they were coming; there would have been more play to the heartstrings without the foreknowledge on my part. I will say that I felt sorrier for Hatsumomo in the movie than I did in the book, but not so with Pumpkin. It has been several years since I read the book, but as far as I can recall, it was quite faithful (though admittedly I cannot recall much beyond the major plot points). In all honesty, I was most disappointed in the score. John Williams, Yo Yo Ma, and Itzhak Perlman; what's not to love? I genuinely can't even recall the music at all. Some would say that is the mark of a great movie score, but disappointing from such talented artists. Still, all in all, worth seeing if you like purposefully slow-paced eye candy, but will not lose much on the small screen, I don't think. Not recommended for stereotypical men, as they will most likely be bored out of their skulls.

Will I Buy It? Unlikely.

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