Nominated for 6 Oscars and based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha really deserves to be nominated with such nominations. Depicting Japanese culture, different geisha stereotypes and even how World War II changed the world, Memoirs of a Geisha is more than just these. It's a story about a girl who became orphaned, spurred out to be one of Japan's most celebrated geishas. How she struggled and became aware of how geishas live their life. The story started with the actors speaking in Japanese which only translates that the main character, together with her sister was being sold to a geisha house. The main character, Chiyo, since she and her sister were brought to different geisha houses, tried to look for each other. Somehow, destiny was kind to them because when they got to see each other, they planned of escaping the city. Unfortunately, Chiyo fell from the roof while escaping, that's now where all her agonies will begin. With her sister gone and a news that her parents died, Chiyo became a house-servant in the geish house. Mameha, played by Michelle Yeo, during that time was the most beautiful geisha. She then later adopted Chiyo then trained her to be a geisha. And from then on, Chiyo changed her name to Sayuri and then later became the most celebrated geisha in their city. And from here, rivalry, hidden love, politics and war will all make the story complicated.

     Not reading the book will make someone not fully understand the movie. I did not read the book so I had a hard time connecting events from previous events. The character names were so forgettable cause they where in Japanese and also the fact that I'm not good with name recalling. Another factor that made me not fully understand the flow of the movie was the accents of the Asian actors. Sometimes when the talk, it's as if they where really speaking Japanese. The costumes and make-ups were realistic and will make someone appreciate Japanese culture. The story also defends the stereotypes about geishas. Geishas are not high class prostitutes. And according to Mameha, geishas are not courtesans. And we are not wives. We sell our skills, not our bodies. We create another secret world, a place only of beauty. The very word "geisha" means artist and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work of art. The movie tells it the way it is. There were rarely sex scenes and if there were, it's because men looked at them as an expensive pieces of art. They did not sell their bodies but they sold their skills, their music, and their dances and with these, men were enraptured by them. All in all, the narrator, old Chiyo left these words; she paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret. And in my case, I sometimes feel I'm a geisha in my own right. I try to conceal what's inside my heart with my smiling face. I sometimes live up to the standards and expectations of the people around me-- and yes, sometimes I really do not have a reason why I do these. My judgement, 3.5/5 stars!!!

Quotable Quotes: "She paints her face to hide her face" by Sayuri