Official Sites: n/a

 

Release date: Dec. 2005

 

Teaser posters:

 
 
 
 

Trailer: n/a

 

 

 

 The geisha, in translation

(Los Angeles Times)

By Bruce Wallace

Every move Komomo makes is rooted in Japanese ritual. The way her body sinks to kneel, or how she uses just the fingertips of her right hand to slide open the wood-framed Japanese doors. The way she moves like smoke across the room on her dancer's toes...

 

Pan-Asian doesn't mean prejudiced - Response to the Bruce Wallace article from Memoirs of A Geisha producers:

Re Bruce Wallace's "The Geisha, in Translation" (March 6): Oscar-winning English actress Vivien Leigh so convincingly consumed the role of Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara that "Gone With the Wind" remains an enduring classic to this day. Linda Hunt won an Oscar for portraying an Indonesian man in "The Year of Living Dangerously," as did American Gwyneth Paltrow for playing an Englishwoman in "Shakespeare in Love." Liam Neeson earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of German businessman Oskar Schindler, and Russell Crowe grabbed an Oscar for playing a Roman general. The list of nontraditional casting choices is endless.

Oscar-winning English actress Vivien Leigh so convincingly consumed the role of Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara that "Gone With the Wind" remains an enduring classic to this day. Linda Hunt won an Oscar for portraying an Indonesian man in "The Year of Living Dangerously," as did American Gwyneth Paltrow for playing an Englishwoman in "Shakespeare in Love." Liam Neeson earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of German businessman Oskar Schindler, and Russell Crowe grabbed an Oscar for playing a Roman general. The list of nontraditional casting choices is endless.

(Click here to continue)

 

Japan looks uneasily to its laurels as old rival steals several long marches (Times Online)

By Richard Lloyd Parry

When Sony Pictures said that it was making Memoirs of a Geisha, it must have seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime for Japan’s actresses...

 

Pan-Asian casting for 'Geisha' sparked some debate

(Los Angeles Times)

The decision to cast Chinese actresses in the main roles of "Memoirs of a Geisha" was widely debated at Sony Pictures -- a Japanese company -- and by the movie's producers, including Steven Spielberg...

 

Actress Yeoh hits out at critics of Geisha movie cast

(AFP via Yahoo! News)

Malaysian-born, Hong Kong-based actress Michelle Yeoh has hit out at criticism that she and two other leading Chinese actresses were cast as Japanese in her upcoming movie, a media report said...

 

Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Chinese-American Geisha

(The New York Times)

By Anne Thompson

If the coming story in film is globalization, "Memoirs of a Geisha," set for a Christmas release by Sony Pictures, may one day be seen as a movie at the tipping point...

(Thanks to Liling Chen.)

 

Chinese geisha give slanted view of Japan's oldest professionals

(Mainichi Daily News)

By Ryann Connell

IGeisha given a sneak preview of parts of the film adaptation of "Memoirs of a Geisha" have savaged the show, according to Shukan Shincho (2/10)...

(Thanks to "No Front")

 

'Geisha's walk in the park

(San Francisco Chronicle)

By G. Allen Johnson

Cars are lined up along the street outside the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, which is not in itself an unusual sight...

(Thanks to John Becker.)

 

Japanese on edge over Spielberg's geisha film (The Guardian)

By McCurry

Critics fear teahouse culture will be tweaked for western audience.

(Thanks to "CJ")

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN Receives Eight Oscar Nominations (Oscar.com)

 

 

January 31, 2006

 

(Focus Features, Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Films)

Ang Lee directed "great American love story"  Brokeback Mountain has become the front runner for the Oscar with eight nominations, including best picture, best director, best actor, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best cinematography, best music (score) and best adapted screenplay. Memoirs of A Geisha clears up almost all the art categories with six nominations and fails to reach any the acting categories.

 

The complete nomination list.

 

 

 

British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Nomination List (BAFTA.co.uk)

 

 

January 19, 2006

 

(Focus Features, Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Films, China Film Group)

Ang Lee's cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain received nominations in nine categories, including film, direction, actor in a leading role, actor in a supporting role, music, cinematography and editing. Memoirs of A Geisha, a tale about the east told in the west, is nominated to compete for six awards, including actress in a leading role (Zhang Ziyi), music, cinematography, production design, costume design and make up & hair. Stephen Chow's comedy actioner  Kung Fu Hustle is listed in the category of film not in the English language.

 

 

Brokeback Mountain

Film - Diana Ossana / James Schamus

The David Lean Award for achievement in Direction - Ang Lee

Adapted Screenplay - Larry McMurtry / Diana Ossana
Actor in a Leading Role - Heath Ledger

Actor in a Supporting Role - Jake Gyllenhaal

Actress in a Supporting Role - Michelle Williams
The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music - Gustavo Santaolalla

Cinematography - Rodrigo Prieto
Editing - Geraldine Peroni / Dylan Tichenor


Memoirs of a Geisha

Actress in a Leading Role - Ziyi Zhang

The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music - John Williams

Cinematography - Dion Beebe
Production Design - John Myhre

Costume Design - Colleen Atwood

Make up & Hair - Noriko Watanabe / Kate Biscoe / Lyndell Quiyou / Kelvin R Trahan 
 

Kung Fu Hustle

Film Not in the English Language  - Stephen Chow / Chui Po Chu / Jeff Lau

 

The complete nomination list.

 

 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Premiered in LA  (...)

 

 

December 4, 2005

 

Zhang Ziyi Michelle Yeoh
(Reuters / AP)

More première photos: A and B

 

 

 

 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Tokyo Premiere (Sina.com)

 

 

November 29, 2005

 

(?)

Press conference yesterday in Tokyo: Video clip Photos

The Tokyo premiere: Video clip Photos

Video: cast and Rob Marshall interview

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

7 MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Clips (HelloZiyi.us / Movies.com)

 

 

November 25, 2005

 

The Taiwanese poster
(?)

Click here, here and here.

 

More about Memoirs of A Geisha: go here.

 

 

 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Italian Poster (CinEmpire.com)

 

 

November 21, 2005

 

 

(Eagle Pictures)

CinEmpire.com has a large collection of Memoirs of A Geisha stills.

Click here

(Thanks to "Sid".)

 

Official Italian site

 

Related Story:

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA: An Interview with Director Rob Marshall (BlackFilm.com)

(Thanks to "Wilson" of BlackFilm.com.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Images (HelloZiyi.us)

 

 

November 14, 2005

 

(Columbia Pictures / DreamWorks Films)

HelloZiyi.us just had more collection of Memoirs of A Geisha photos.

 

Click here

 

(Thanks to "Chris" from HelloZiyi.us.)

 
 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA North American Trailer in QuickTime (Apple.com)

 

 

October 22, 2005

 

(Columbia Pictures / DreamWorks Films)

Click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Thanks to "Chris" from HelloZiyi.us.)

 
 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA North American Trailer (Yahoo!)

 

 

September 19, 2005

 

(Columbia Pictures / DreamWorks Films)

Actually, this one is virtually identical to the Japanese trailer released last month.

Click here

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Japanese Trailer Online Now (Movies.co.jp)

 

 

August 25, 2005

 

(Columbia Pictures / DreamWorks Films)

Click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Thanks to "Marla" of www.admiringgongli.com.)

 
 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Promotional Stills (HelloZiyi.us)

 

 

August 22, 2005

 

(Columbia Pictures / DreamWorks Films)

Some unknown number of promotional stills have been distributed to the media of east Asia. Some of them are available here.

 

Left: Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yoeh and Gong Li wearing traditional kimonos and none traditional hairstyles.

 

 

 
 

 

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Shots (...)

 

 

July 30, 2005

 

Ken Watanabe and Zhang Ziyi posing for The Elle Magazine (The Elle Magazine)

Zhang Ziyi (2nd L) and Michelle Yeoh (3rd L). (L to R): Michelle Yeoh, Ken Watanabe, ?, ?, Koji Yakusho, ? Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi.
(Columbia Pictures / DreamWorks Films)

More shots are available at

HelloZiyi.us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Thanks to "Chris" and an anonymous friend.)

 
 

 

Another MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA Teaser Poster (Blackfilm.com)