Memoirs of a Geisha, the film

Hmmm...it was good enough that I continued to watch it to the end, but I agree with the general concensus that it does not live up to the book. Mind you, the book itself was not Shakespeare or anything, but it was a familiar story wrapped in an engrossing and fascinating package. In the jump to film, the rich details of the book had to be cut down, and as a result the rather familiar plot is what's left. Without the power and detail of the setting and the context, the story is merely average. Not a bad movie, just an average one.

The casting was very good in most of the roles. I was particularly happy with The Chairman (Ken Watanabe) and Mameha (Michelle Yeoh.) The former looked remarkably similiar to what I had imagined when reading, only hotter. The latter did not look precisely how I imagined, but Michelle Yeoh has one of those striking and glamorous faces that lure people in, so even though she was different I could easily imagine her as the most famous geisha in Gion. Hatsumomo was decently casted (actually, her role in the film was made more sympathetic than the novel), and Nobu was okay. However, I didn't like the casting for Mother and I didn't care for Pumpkin either.

The lead actress Ziyi Zhang, however, felt miscast to me. She did adequately, but I don't think she conveyed the power of personality that Chiyo/Sayuri deserved. In the book you become very caught up in Chiyo's fate, and even though much of her life consists of dealing with what happens to her instead of making things happen, there's still an incredibly tenacious inner spirit within her. Chiyo/Sayuri is not a candle in the wind, she is a torch in the night. Ziyi Zhang was too delicate, too much of a flower. Chiyo is not a flower, she merely spends her life pretending to be one. Suzuka Ohgo (child Chiyo) did a much better job of capturing the characters's strength and will.


In summary, I'm not sure how interesting this film would be to someone who hasn't read the book. On the other hand, if you have read it you'll probably find the film to be less than what you remember reading.

My 7th grade English teacher made us look at this to demonstrate word usage in poetry (poem or not).

Hello darkness my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping.
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone,
Narrow streets of cobblestone.
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never shared.
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools" said I, "You do not know,
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence.

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls."
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.




I've always looked back on this song and agreed that it is an excellent example of the lesson she was trying to convey: that every word in a poetic work should serve the whole. What I love about this song is not just the slightly creepy cultish theme or the pessimistic ideas, or even the way it's played. What I love is that you can pick out almost any noun or verb or adverb in the song and easily trace how it relates to the whole. The themes of sound, silence, and music are in every aspect of the song/poem--- not just what the little "story" is saying, but in each word chosen for its power and place. Figurative language, say hello.

Veronica Mars, ficcage rec

It's kind of funny that right now my favorite post-finale fic is about Dick. Dude, I don't even like Dick. Nobody really likes Dick, fun as he is to watch.

The way Dick Casablancas sees it, somebody has to have gotten something wrong, and that somebody sure as hell isn't him.

::winks at jaina, then hides::

Thanks to sarah_p, I now have on my journal the ( best. meme. ever. )

Then I couldn't resist doing it again. ( Read more... )

Featuring testimonials from spicedrum, fadingembers, girlwithjournal, donna_c_punk, shrift, and muzakgurrl.

Avatar: episode 2x7 "Zuko Alone"

Well that explains a lot.

Also? You are finally living up to your hotness potential. Party time!


::A more comment-y post will follow, after a reviewing. Yay for my parents' DVR!::


Edit 1: Torrent is out! That was fast, yo: http://www.mininova.org/tor/308500

Edit 2: Spoilers in comments below! Warning! Some spoilers!

Avatar 2x7, again. The episode that launched a thousand vignettes!

Damn near essay-length. I apologize. It's just that this episode gave us a large amount of information and I wanted to comment on all the major stuff.

( Flashbacks help, really. )

Okay, enough B plot flashback talk.

( Now for the A plotline )

Last thought: I'm kind of internally squeeing over the fact that with each new episode my fanfic idea of Zuko's personality appears closer and closer to canon. I love when your feel for a character is reaffirmed in canon. It's validating, ya know?


EDIT: I have a new batch of things to add to the list of "Dark Stuff I Never Thought I'd See Discussed On A Nickelodeon Show". Previous list included things like genocide and violent child abuse. Now we can add...( Read more... )

One more squeeing thought on the Avatar episode.

( Spoilers for episode 2x7 )

Also? This episode proves that Avatar: The Last Airbender was totally written for girls. I mean, really.