[Speed Gibson,
Monday January 2, 2006 at 6:55pm]
Memoirs of a Geisha
Last week, Hugh Hewitt and The Unblinking Eye put out a public service announcement telling us to resist all temptation and not waste our money on Memoirs of a Geisha. It was a long, tedious chick flick, beatifully photographed, but without the usual things they expect in a movie like dialog, a plot, gratuitous nudity, and swordplay.
Naturally, my wife wanted to see it. What was I to do?
But then via Michelle Malkin I saw Frontpagemag.com's top ten conservative movies for 2005. There at #10 was Memoirs of a Geisha.
Scanning other reviews proved not very helpful, so I took her to the 3 pm showing today. If nothing else, I had to see who was wrong, and it turned out to be Hugh Hewitt. That's two big blunders this past year for him, this and his gushing, unfounded support for Harriet Miers.
The sets were indeed sumputuous. The scenery is indeed lush and exotic. Plus, I enjoyed the music throughout. I realized why when the credits listed John Williams, Yo Yo Ma, and Itzhak Perlman. In fact, the credit sequence at the end in itself was beautifully done.
The plot is gentle and simple, nothing like, say, the recent remake of The Count of Monte Cristo, which also has superb production values. But this is the very essence of the culture in general and the geisha in particular. It isn't dull despite its length. It has pathos, it has fate, and it has an all too human cast of characters.
My only complaint is the overuse of the jiggling camera, which has found entirely too much favor with modern film makers. I think we understand that a rickshaw ride through poorly paved streets is going to be a little bumpy.
I recommend it, and give it three and a half out of four stars.
Naturally, my wife wanted to see it. What was I to do?
But then via Michelle Malkin I saw Frontpagemag.com's top ten conservative movies for 2005. There at #10 was Memoirs of a Geisha.
Surprised you, didn't I?
...
Forget the sets (sumptuous). Ignore the scenery (lush and exotic). Instead focus on the story of a little girl who falls in love with a man, and endures much for the sake of that love.
Scanning other reviews proved not very helpful, so I took her to the 3 pm showing today. If nothing else, I had to see who was wrong, and it turned out to be Hugh Hewitt. That's two big blunders this past year for him, this and his gushing, unfounded support for Harriet Miers.
The sets were indeed sumputuous. The scenery is indeed lush and exotic. Plus, I enjoyed the music throughout. I realized why when the credits listed John Williams, Yo Yo Ma, and Itzhak Perlman. In fact, the credit sequence at the end in itself was beautifully done.
The plot is gentle and simple, nothing like, say, the recent remake of The Count of Monte Cristo, which also has superb production values. But this is the very essence of the culture in general and the geisha in particular. It isn't dull despite its length. It has pathos, it has fate, and it has an all too human cast of characters.
My only complaint is the overuse of the jiggling camera, which has found entirely too much favor with modern film makers. I think we understand that a rickshaw ride through poorly paved streets is going to be a little bumpy.
I recommend it, and give it three and a half out of four stars.
Great site, btw.