Movie Reviews

Yeah I know we got finals, and I should be studying but I just cant help it.. those last two days two stunning directors gave my heart the chill, enjoy..



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"Memoirs of a Geisha"

Can a group of American men and Chinese actresses render the remote and mysterious world of a geisha? The answer is yes, with stunning beauty …and regrettable flaws.

Truth be told, this movie was not as bad as its trailer led me to expect. It had a story to tell (although it crumbles in the end), images to show, and material to present. There were ample displays of exquisite beauty—the trailing tails of silk kimonos, the subtle allure of hand gestures, and the captivating kabuki theater dance scene...

On the other hand, the American director was not able to pull the Japanese out of Chinese actresses. (This movie was so crowded by famous Chinese idols that I found myself inadvertently searching for Joan Chen among the cast.) To be fair, all three main actors (Gong Li in particular) show strong performances that made me sympathetic to Rob Marshall's choices. However, they remain utterly Chinese throughout this movie. The look and accent are not the only problems. They lacked the kind of extreme femininity, excessive felicity, and delicately mechanical gesture, posture, and movements of traditional Japanese ladies you can see in custom dramas of Japanese production. (Michelle Yeoh seems to be the only one trying a little bit of those, but it did not quite work for some reason.)

So, let me re-address the question: Can a group of American men and Chinese actresses render the world of a geisha? The answer, I guess, really depends on what you are looking for. If you would like a little bit of delight from an aesthetically pleasing picture with a vague standard for authenticity and realism, this movie delivers it. I would not say Rob Marshall failed completely. Memoirs of a Geisha is not the first, nor the last, movie that subjects another culture to the crude lens of American exoticism. It definitely is not the worst one.




This other movie called "smile" assures you that every once in awhile a film comes along that just reminds you what life is really all about this film did it for me. The difference in this film is it stirred you to want to care, to want to make a small difference any way that you possibly can in life. This film is that hope factor that keeps one going no matter how many times you have been beaten up by the world and it's cynical ways. The love and hope in this film reminds you to keep trying, searching, reaching to help make a difference no matter what, no matter how small a way. Thank God for people who make films such as this!!


So if you do have time, checkem out.... Oh and by the way I know it seems like I got allot of free time to spare but for the love of god, someone tell me GO STUDY!! So again ,, wish me luck ;)