This movie apparently breaks Hollywood blockbuster records in that it contains a completely Asian leading roles. It's also a mesh of nationalities, as it was written by a New Yorker, directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, anyone?), was filmed mostly in Los Angeles except for some screen shots, and has a mostly Chinese cast. In spite of this, it still manages to give an impression of an alien culture- a Geisha district in Japan before the Second World War.
The story, of a poor Cinderella trying to attain a man out of her reach, is not the only attraction in the film, with various smaller stories taking place around the main plot of Chio/Sayuri. The costumes were what really enthralled me, as the selection of obis and kimonos and extra high really strange sandals were completely different from anything I've seen, as was the Geisha culture, which was described enough to give the audience a taste of foreign lands, which is what movies used to do to their viewers- transport them somewhere that they would never go in their quotidian existence.
I would definitely recommend seeing this movie, but the rating is deceptive. Although it's a 12A, there was some sexual content that I wouldn't really want to try to explain to a twelve-year-old. Have fun there, parents... |
