Memoirs Of A Geisha

Aroview: The ravishing Zhang Ziyi takes the lead in this exotically pleasing, if contentious adaptation of Arthur Golden's 'insider' novel, as a young woman inducted into the closed world of a Japanese geisha household in the years before WW2.

Although controversial for its pan-Asian casting and stumbling accents, dir. Marshall (CHICAGO) inscribes the essential lines of Zhang's difficult upbringing, maturing confidence and yearnings for romance with a sure hand for its 'Cinderella story' dynamics. Visually opulent - the film is almost a study in silk and brocade - and infused with a certain Hollywood razzle, this should prove a satisfying glimpse into a lost world for most viewers.