Memoirs of a Geisha

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Memoirs of a Geisha

PG-13

2005

2h 35m

Drama

Romance

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Popcornmeter

35%

Tomatometer

164 Reviews

83%

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250,000+ Ratings

In the 1920s, 9-year-old Chiyo gets sold to a geisha house. There, she is forced into servitude, receiving nothing in return until the house's ruling hierarchy determines if she is of high enough quality to service the clientele -- men who visit and pay for conversation, dance and song. After rigorous years of training, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, a geisha of incredible beauty and influence. Life is good for Sayuri, but World War II is about to disrupt the peace.

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Critics Consensus

Less nuanced than its source material, Memoirs of a Geisha may be a lavish production, but it still carries the simplistic air of a soap opera.

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

Jan 10, 2019

2/4

Ziyi's fragile radiant presence lights up the screen, the standout scene being her public dance performance which marks her ascension into geishadom.

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Zadie Smith

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Jan 16, 2018

Memoirs of a Geisha hurts the heart and the brain with its crushing monotony, inert, sub-human dialogue and Marshall's calculated attempt to sell us another Hollywood fairytale of prostitution.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Mar 31, 2008

Trying too hard to grab our attention, [Marshall] loses it. The art of the geisha prizes subtlety, stillness, grace. Why doesn't this movie?

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Arnold Wayne Jones

Texas Triangle/TXT

May 7, 2023

3/4

When the initially muddled exposition finally begins to take shape and Geisha gets its blood flowing, things improve immeasurably.

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Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

Jan 30, 2020

Marshall has instead crafted a mildly smarmy, heavy-breathing fantasy about some super-hot babes knocking each other down to get to the man meat while ignoring the fact that they are essentially sex slaves.

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Ellie Lucas

The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

Jun 5, 2019

2.5/4

Certainly is beautiful to look at, but it holds the audience at bay with one dainty, silk-shrouded arm.

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Robert P

@Superbad Oct 6, 2026

Memoirs of A Geisha is a *4* star Movie!

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Alan C

@AlanC100 Sep 9, 2026

Couldn’t be better.

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Chris S

@Janomi Jul 5, 2026

Memoirs of a Geisha is at its best as a visually elegant romantic drama. The costumes, sets, lighting, makeup, and production design create a rich, polished world, giving the film a strong sense of beauty, ritual, and spectacle even when the story itself becomes uneven. Zhang Ziyi brings grace, vulnerability, and quiet strength to Sayuri, making her transformation from frightened child to celebrated geisha feel emotionally grounded. Gong Li is even more compelling as Hatsumomo, giving the character bitterness, jealousy, sensuality, sadness, and danger rather than playing her as a simple villain. John Williams’s score adds a sweeping, mournful quality that helps elevate Sayuri’s longing and isolation. The film’s biggest weakness is that its version of geisha life can feel overly stylized, softening and simplifying the harsher realities of that world. It is beautiful and engaging, but not always as deep or emotionally powerful as it wants to be.

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Jessica R

@RT09958937 May 30, 2026

I absolutely love this movie. I watched it as a young girl about 13 in England when it first came out & it’s stayed with me ever since. The star actress is so beautiful & deeply moving in her performance. A must see imo if you like fascinating storylines over action packed movies.

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juan C.

@Endore May 17, 2026

I just read the book. And I agree with most critics. The movie feels like an ornate shell in comparison. It fails to capture the nuance of the relationships. Nontheless,beautiful scenes and John Williams and Perlman’s music will you in majestic moments worth watching.

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Ajliyah

May 13, 2026

Beautiful yet heartbreaking story.

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Rob Marshall

Director

Zhang Ziyi

Sayuri Nitta

Ken Watanabe

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Synopsis

In the 1920s, 9-year-old Chiyo gets sold to a geisha house. There, she is forced into servitude, receiving nothing in return until the house's ruling hierarchy determines if she is of high enough quality to service the clientele -- men who visit and pay for conversation, dance and song. After rigorous years of training, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, a geisha of incredible beauty and influence. Life is good for Sayuri, but World War II is about to disrupt the peace.

Director: Rob Marshall
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher
Screenwriter: Robin Swicord
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sexual Content|Mature Subject Matter)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.0M
Runtime: 2h 35m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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