Thursday, January 19, 2006

Memoirs of the Geisha - Hatsumomo my dear

Since yesterday i went to watch "Memoirs of the Geisha" premiere, i might as well write something down. the movie is ok ok only, hollywood standard what, don't expect mediocre and also masterpiece lah... hahaha...

i personally quite like the opening scene, like i told my students today about treatment of a scene... the opening is about how these 2 sisters Satsu and Chiyo been sold to geisha house in Tokyo. the director chose night scene which is definitely suitable to portray certain uncanny and uncertainties. what is good about this opening scene is the direct employed a lot of tracking shots and follow shots, and more often the shots are shaky, bumpy and unstable. i doubt everyone will get nausead by watching that opening scene. moreover, the composition of the shots are normally tighter shot, especially when they reached Tokyo streets, through the lens we see lamp light, doors and houses, smokes etc... so throughout this scene, there's actually no room for us to breath or rest. all these design helps to create tension to audience, audience are forced to experience what the little girl has gone through - helplessness, loneliness, scared in a strange unknown world...

Another thing i like about the movie is the character Hatsumomo acted by Gong Li. Not only because of her superb acting skills, but the character design itself is very 3D. we cannot deny the fact that geishas, no matter how u want to portray them differently, are only prostitutes guised with their artistic appearance and dancing or singing skills. don't get me wrong i'm not having any prejudice about ppl who are in the "lust" industry, but being brought up in this kinda environment when money, luxuries, fighting for survival mean everything in this world, they cannot help but be shallow. Hatsumomo's character successfully reflects the real geisha, flesh and blood, with complete personal history of why she become someone evil, using strategies that only she thinks they are clever... the truth is, i am like Nobu, he got all the rights to hate geishas. let's face it, Memoirs of Geisha is after all kinda autobiography, when ppl tell you their story, they will kinda beautify the story here and there, even when i explain something to my parents, i will always make it a bit beneficial on my part. there is no wonder i doubt the character of Sayuri/Chiyo is really genuine...

But seriously i don't like the ending of the movie, it's too "happy ending" until it looks really fake and pretentious... well, the chairman will never never or can never accept Sayuri after so much things had happened. although the narration at the end kinda telling us that Sayuri can only be some substitute wife and can only be with the chairman after night falls, but i just can't stand the romantic cheesy scene when the chairman broke into tears and hug Sayuri.... it just... too... jarring!! sigh...

There are more to discuss... but time is golden and i've gotten better things to do now... hahahaha... see ya!

rating: 3/5 (worthed watching but don't expect too much, or go to watch it if it's free or if you have few extra dime to spend.) :P

white face scary!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

明天才会去看,所以没读你的稿,只看了题目,因为不想知道太多,呵呵。。
看过了再来分享观后感吧!

+佳+

Anonymous said...

咦, 酱刚好啊, 我也是明天去看。。。


阿我

Anonymous said...

觀後感:女人,男人邁向成功路上的犧牲者。

+佳+

Anonymous said...

忘了講﹐我同一天也看了“Pride & Prejudice”,很棒﹗
觀後感﹕愛﹐要說出來。

+佳+

Anonymous said...

有时候为了种种原因,导演自己也不能决定电影的结局。。

这是我们必须接受的,因为这是电影无奈。。



阿我

Anonymous said...

我看了,不喜欢。
有点残酷的故事,
最近正值转换风格,
还是去看喜剧或没有营养的电影适合我。

不是我

Anonymous said...

不是我,

我也是开始有这样的倾向,
很想不用想的去欣赏一部电影,
也许是被《第三代》影响吧。。
看完《第三代》, 觉得好累,
然后开始觉得《情巅大圣》这样无理头的电影,原来也是一部很好的电影。。。哈!

阿我

Teddy Beh said...

你们都老了,或已经被主流化了!

Anonymous said...

不是老了
也不是被主流化了
只是突然脑袋生锈
不想看要想太多的电影吧?
学堂出来的后遗症。。
但是那天看霍元甲
还是不小心看到其他的东西
比如母题。。

不是我