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Memoirs of a Geisha


MattM4
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Now, I went to see this movie some time last week ...

 

I am a massive fan of Asian culture in general, so was bound to find something to my liking here.

 

Esthetically, the film was brilliant, beautiful and stunning ... but having them all speak English was a major let down, and the way the story is told in itslef is rather slow of off pace.

 

It just frustrates me no end, when I think that the film had so much potential to be brilliant ... but in the end was okay ... a bit like Goal! or a bit like watching NUFC (excet we're not okay, we're shite)

 

Ive done a bit of research since, and it seems it has received a lot of criticism.

 

That Ziyi Zhang is a stunner though ;)

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I don't understand the complaints about it being in English or having Japanese actors in Chinese roles. Look at Doctor Zhivago, The Ten Commandments or Julius Caesar, you can still make a good film with actors playing another nationality.

 

The only thing I didn't like was the story itself, I think Geisha's being bought and sold into a life of prostitution shouldn't be romanticised, the "I will be the best Geisha" thing stunk. It looked fantastic, great set design, costumes & make up I just couldn't stomach the melodrama.

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I don't understand the complaints about it being in English or having Japanese actors in Chinese roles.  Look at Doctor Zhivago, The Ten Commandments or Julius Caesar, you can still make a good film with actors playing another nationality.

 

I have no qualms about it being Chinese actresses playing Japanese geisha ... it's that, although it made them sound cute speaking english, it sounded rather forced most of the times. I would have liked it if they had gone all the way, and done the film in japanese (quite a lot of japanese words slip in here and there actually).

 

The only thing I didn't like was the story itself, I think Geisha's being bought and sold into a life of prostitution shouldn't be romanticised, the "I will be the best Geisha" thing stunk.  It looked fantastic, great set design, costumes & make up I just couldn't stomach the melodrama.

87763[/snapback]

 

I agree on this point though.

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Chinese actors in Japanese roles? I havent got round to watching it yet but I think the main complaint with the casting is the randomness of it all. Its not like its one chinese actress playing a japanese role theres a whole batch of nationalities with different accents all supposed to be playing Japanese. Its like having a Frenchman and a German playing a Swedes and speaking in english with their original accents. It can get in the way.

 

I'll have to watch it before passign further comment

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Its like having a Frenchman and a German playing a Swedes and speaking in english with their original accents. It can get in the way.

 

87770[/snapback]

 

yes exactly they should have done with Japanese actresses or japanese speaking actresses or not bothered at all, seems like a waste to me.

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Chinese actors in Japanese roles? I havent got round to watching it yet but I think the main complaint with the casting is the randomness of it all. Its not like its one chinese actress playing a japanese role theres a whole batch of nationalities with different accents all supposed to be playing Japanese. Its like having a Frenchman and a German playing a Swedes and speaking in english with their original accents. It can get in the way.

 

I'll have to watch it before passign further comment

87770[/snapback]

 

Do a western audience care in general? I wouldn't have a clue what the difference between a Chinese and Japanese accent was when they are speaking English. I imagine very few do.

 

I can see why an Asian audience might think it's shite, like we think Dick Van Dyke is in Mary Poppins, but as it's an American film for an American audience I don't see the problem. They want to make money, it was an expensive film to make. Thick Americans will only watch films in English with famous people. If it wasn't going to be a low budget arthouse thing, that's all they could do.

 

By the way, if you want to see a good Chinese film about a poor little girl being sold into slavery try The King of masks. It's great.

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By the way, if you want to see a good Chinese film about a poor little girl being sold into slavery try The King of masks.  It's great.

87783[/snapback]

 

;):blink:

 

 

.... okay, great ;)

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By the way, if you want to see a good Chinese film about a poor little girl being sold into slavery try The King of masks.  It's great.

87783[/snapback]

 

;):(

 

 

.... okay, great :nah:

87798[/snapback]

 

:blink: ...I don't get it! ;)

 

Are you mocking me, Mr Gambini?

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A film has got to suck me in to be enjoyable. If theres a constant breaking of that illusion because all these characters have mismatching accents then its going to get in the way. Im not talking about the cinema audience in general, im just saying I can understand where the critical comments come form. Im sure that inconcistenty would bother most, even if dont know the difference you can hear it and isnt there some noticable american accents too? If you actually can hear the difference then its going to get right on your nerves, like I said all Im saying is I can understand the criticism.

 

A strange view point from you though Happy, quite the opposite to your view on remakes (re Oldboy)

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By the way, if you want to see a good Chinese film about a poor little girl being sold into slavery try The King of masks.  It's great.

87783[/snapback]

 

;):(

 

 

.... okay, great :nah:

87798[/snapback]

 

:blink: ...I don't get it! ;)

 

Are you mocking me, Mr Gambini?

87804[/snapback]

 

lol, no no, just thought it was a kinda weird proposal of a movie ... yet Im interested

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A film has got to suck me in to be enjoyable. If theres a constant breaking of that illusion because all these characters have mismatching accents then its going to get in the way. Im not talking about the cinema audience in general, im just saying I can understand where the critical comments come form. Im sure that inconcistenty would bother most, even if dont know the difference you can hear it and isnt there some noticable american accents too? If you actually can hear the difference then its going to get right on your nerves, like I said all Im saying is I can understand the criticism.

 

A strange view point from you though Happy, quite the opposite to your view on remakes (re Oldboy)

87808[/snapback]

 

 

I don't see the contradiction. Remaking an already great film to cash in on its past or foreign success is just a lack of originality. It's that lack of originality I despise. The fact that studio films are made to appeal to a mass market is a good thing, the more money Geisha makes, the more can be invested in smaller, imaginative films.

(I also don't think an Oldboy remake will make much money, especially with the director currently attached to it).

 

I believe almost no-one notices the inconsistency of accents in the west. I also believe that the bulk of people complaining about it don't recognise the difference in accents but take on the argument from a small number that have. I prefer to criticise a film on my own terms rather than other peoples.

 

I'm not saying anyone here didn't notice, for all I know you could be steeped in Asian culture. You could be Japanese.

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Well you could justify the Oldboy remake in exactly the same way. The general western cinema audience isnt aware of the original so its an American film for American tastes. You could even further justify by saying more people will get see an amazing film, if it anyway lives up to the original. There's no way of knowing until its out but yeah Im with you that its doubtful.

 

I've heard these criticisms from people who do watch asian films so its not them jumping on a badwagon. I can imagine it'll be an issue when I get round to watching it myself, how big remains to be seen.

 

Anyway I'll probably soon forget about it when I start drolling over Zhang Ziyi

 

aahhhh

 

 

vlife-zhang_ziyi_1.jpg

 

 

must get round to watching 2046, seen it?

Edited by luckypierre
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Well you could justify the Oldboy remake in exactly the same way. The general western cinema audience isnt aware of the original so its an American film for American tastes. You could even further justify by saying more people will get see an amazing film, if it anyway lives up to the original. There's no way of knowing until its out but yeah Im with you that its doubtful.

87891[/snapback]

 

But Memoirs of a Geisha is an original film, not a remake. As I said, the only problem i have with remakes is they rarely offer anything new.

 

There was no need for an Oldboy remake because it already exists. There was no need for Japanese actors in Geisha because none of it's core audience would notice.

 

I'm struggling to see where one argument defies the other.

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hoping for some degree of witticism in this thread, alas alak, there was none to be found

88359[/snapback]

 

 

I locked myself out of the house today. When I looked through the letterbox the cat was sat there. "Let me in" I said. The cat responded "Me? How?"

 

;)

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must get round to watching 2046, seen it?

87891[/snapback]

 

Aye. I'd not seen In the Mood for Love though. Don't know how much of a difference it makes but I was very confused.

87931[/snapback]

It's the other way round for me.

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HF, you've been reading that How to Read Films book again, haven't you? :doubleact:

88963[/snapback]

 

:o

 

Actually, I've never read it or bought it. I only suggested it for someone or other who seemed incapable or recognising simple subtext and (wrongly) told everyone that The Descent was shit.

Edited by Happy Face
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