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Memoirs of a Gesisha Breaks Limited-Release Records
The American film adaptation of the New York Times bestseller by Arthur Golden, opening in only 4 North American cities on December 9th, 2005, took in a total of $673,352 on the continent, averaging $84,194 per screen. It was shown in New York City, Los Angeles, San Fransisco and Toronto. The movie was also released in Japan on December 10th under the title Sayuri.
Memoirs of a Gesisha stars Ziyi Zhang as "Sayuri", a fictional young woman who, after being sold to an okiya (geisha house) by her father after the death of her mother, becomes Japan's most celebrated geisha. Ken Watanabe co-stars as "the Chairman", best friend to hotshot company owner Nobu, and secret love interest of Sayuri.
The movie follows the trials of young Chiyo (her given name) as she slaves away an an okiya in a presitigious hanamachi (entertainment district), forcibly seperated from her sister, dreaming of the day she can be free. Her spoiled older rival, popular geisha Hatsumoto, is instantly jealous of the young Japanese girl with the unusual, fascinating grey-blue eyes. When Chiyo is chosen to begin geisha apprenticeship as a maiko, Hatsumoto recognizes the threat to her plans of one day being adopted by Okaasan (mother) and inheriting the okiya, and tries to ruin Sayuri's reputation at every turn. However, she does not count on the clever machinations of Sayuri's successful mentor and oneesan (ceremonial older sister), Mahema, who strikes a deal to take over Sayuri's interests if her debts to the okiya for her purchase, housing, and expensive tutelage and wardrobe are repaid. Meanwhile, Sayuri dreams of one day being free to love the chairman -- but her catch-22 situation is she must acquire a wealthy patron if she is to become an independent geisha!
Memoirs of a Gesisha expands to a number of limited theatres in large cities on Friday, December 16th, with the full release scheduled for Tuesday, December 20th. In its release last week, the film had the second-highest screen average of 2005 (second only to Brokeback Mountain), and the thirteenth-highest of all time.