Movie Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Takes you far away to another place and...

I've seen the mixed but generally positive reviews by the critics. I guess it depends upon what you expect when you walk in. I think this is an all-around good to great movie. The acting could not be better. If you want some deep information on pre WWII Japan and Japanese psyche, you might be disappointed. I suspect the portrayal of geisha's is a bit sanitized. However, after viewing the movie I feel like I went away to a foreign land/culture became totally immersed in the characters' lives and I didn't really want to come back to my world at the end. For me, that's the mark of a good movie. I think you could nit-pick this movie but maybe the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So, if you want a movie that takes you far away and puts you in someone else's life story you will really enjoy this. If you want a historic documentary and an oscar winner, you might come up a few points shy of a complete winner. I'm picky in many ways but the story, characters and visuals all worked very well for me...and I hope they do for you if you go. ....... Ralph