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The Banquet
An adaptation of "Hamlet" set in 10th century China. Coming Fall 2006.

Memoirs of a Geisha
A poor girl becomes the legendary geisha Sayuri.

Jasmine Women
A story of love and loss over three generations of women in a single family in Shanghai.

Princess Raccoon
2046
House of Flying Daggers
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News Archives - November 2005 to December 2005

Zhang Ziyi kicks off the Golden Coconuts

Ziyi was on hand to introduce China's 1st International Television Ad Awards, also known as the "Golden Coconuts." The awards were held on December 25th in the resort city of Sanya on Hainan Island. Ziyi was named an honorary citizen of the city by the mayor and she recieved "Achievement Award" for her global success as a star of television advertisements. (More than 30 of Ziyi's commercials are available on the Videos page.) CRI has an article with a few more details.

Here is a gallery with 14 pictures from the awards, a few are below

Thanks to Mad for the pictures.

12/26/05

Cannes 2003 pics

Some high quality pictures from a photoshoot Ziyi made while attending the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

Also see this old gallery with 32 pics from Cannes 2003.

Thanks to Moses for the pics.

12/26/05

Ziyi in Esquire

Zhang Ziyi is featured as a "Woman We Love" in the January 2006 issue of Esquire magazine. Scans are below, click to enlarge.

Thanks to Brainchild for the news.

12/26/05

Ziyi filming a commercial in Rome

Zhang Ziyi was in Rome recently to film a shampoo commercial, probably for Asience. A gallery is below

Ziyi filming in Rome - 20 pics

Thanks to Shadow for the pics.

12/26/05

Ziyi in IFLAIR Magazine

Ziyi is appearing in a whole bunch of magazines this month. Below are pictures from IFLAIR, a Chinese magazine. Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for these scans.

Ziyi is also in the latest issue of Esquire, of which I'll post scans later this week. Finally, there was a lovely picture of Z in Entertainment Weekly, which you can see here (thanks Shadow).

12/18/05

Ziyi in Town & Country magazine

Zhang Ziyi is on the cover of Town & Country this month, and inside are some nice pictures and an article. You can read the article here: Page 1, Page 2. Below is a quote

Zhang is thoughtful and serious not just about her career but about her craft. "After I became an actress, I started watching lots of movies. The really great performers don't use only their voices. They act with their faces, their eyes," she says. "Some times, when they're shot from behind, even the position of their shoulders will tell you something you didn't know."

...Beyond the physical challenges of Zhang's roles, complicated costumes have figured prominently in many of her movies. So it follows that in real life she prefers to dress casually; when we meet, she's in white jeans and a crisp T-shirt, a pair of dark sunglasses poised atop her pulled-back hair. "When I go to movie premieres or film festivals, I have to dress up," she says. "And it can be fun every once in a while, like a fairy tale with hair and makeup, the gown and diamonds and rubies." She pauses and laughs heartily. "But then you realize the bodyguards near the red carpet are there to protect the jewelry, not you."

The pictures below were scanned by myself, click to enlarge

12/16/05

Ziyi in Bijin Magazine

The pictures below are from the January issue of the Japanese magazine Bijin. Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for finding these

12/16/05

Ziyi in the London Times Magazine

Zhang Ziyi was featured on the cover of the London Times Magazine on Saturday. Inside was an article that is also available online. Ziyi talks about Memoirs of a Geisha, has a few comments on fashion, and ends the article with this interesting passage

...with her success in Asia and Hollywood, Zhang embodies a crossover appeal that could be lucrative. She refutes any claims to this herself. "I don’t want the pressure of representing East meets West. I don’t want to represent the young generation of China. It’s too much. I’m proud to be Chinese in many ways, but I want people to talk about my work." Despite such statements, it will be hard for her to avoid being touted as one of the faces of a new China. And with her name regularly cropping up in "sexiest" lists (from Teen People and FHM to Harpers & Queen) it’s clear people aren’t just talking about her acting abilities. Zhang laughs off any suggestion of her own sexiness. "Angelina Jolie, she’s sexy, no question. I’m not sexy. I think Asian women are still quite conservative and of course we don’t have those great bodies to show off." Anyone who has seen her act, or seen her pictures, is bound to disagree.

The photographs below are from the magazine, thanks to Evolution for these.

12/14/05

Ziyi talks about her Golden Globe nomination

Backstage.com has reactions from many of yesterday's Golden Globe nominees, including Ziyi

Ziyi Zhang was eating breakfast in her New York hotel room when she learned that she had been nominated for actress in a motion picture drama for her turn as the toast of Kyoto in "Memoirs of a Geisha." "I am very happy, but I wish our movie could get more nominations," said the actress, who joined John Williams (original score) as "Geisha's" lone representatives. "(Director) Rob Marshall deserves all the credit for my nomination." Although Marshall was shut out in the helming category, Zhang found reason to cheer for another director. "I was jumping up and down for Ang Lee," said the Beijing native, whose career skyrocketed after playing a fierce assassin in Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." "Ang, for me, is someone very special. So all the best to him."

12/14/05

Ziyi nominated for Golden Globe

The nominations for the Golden Globes were announced earlier today by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Ziyi has been nominated Best Actress in a Drama for Memoirs of a Geisha. Composer John Williams was also nominated for Best Original Score. The winners will be announced during the Golden Globes awards ceremony on January 16th.

In other awards news, Memoirs of a Geisha has been named one of the year's ten best films by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. The New York Film Critics circle named 2046 Best Foreign Film, and Ziyi came in 3rd place in their Best Actress voting.

Memoirs did very well at the boxoffice over the weekend, according to Variety: "Nearly as impressive was "Memoirs of a Geisha," debuting in Gotham, L.A., San Francisco and Toronto. Sony's adaptation of the best selling book landed the second highest per screen take of 2005 and third highest ever for a drama, with an $84,194 average on eight playdates. Total weekend gross was $673,352"

Variety also has an article about Ziyi as part of their "Eye on the Oscars" series.

Thanks to Joy, JFR, and and CrystalGaia for the news.

12/13/05

Memoirs of a Geisha news

Video segments about Memoirs of a Geisha are available from Entertainment Tonight and the Today Show, both featuring Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh. Meanwhile, AOL has a new video with a clip from the Snow Dance scene.

Here are a few pictures from the New York premiere

And HQ pics from the Santa Barbara Film Society Benefit Gala

A couple of positive reviews of the film from Japan. From The Daily Yomiyuri, "The life of a geisha well translated." A quote

Casting non-Japanese stars as geisha, including Zhang Ziyi as the lead character, seemed to run the risk of disappointing Japanese audiences. However, it turns out that the Asian stars fit well in the geisha world. And the world director Rob Marshall creates is reasonably believable. The movie is a standard success story, only set in a world unfamiliar to many: the Gion entertainment district in Kyoto in the 1920s to 1940s. The story is mostly true to the book, cutting some developments and focusing on memorable scenes. As a result, it successfully translates the book's atmosphere.... Marshall, the director of Chicago, has once again brought a well-known story to life on the screen. In this sense, he lives up to expectations. As a whole, Memoirs of a Geisha is a good blend of Japan, Asia and Hollywood.

Asahi has a review titled "Casting choices leave fond memories."

In the end, the issue turned out to be nonissue. Director Rob Marshall's decision to have non-Japanese actresses play some very Japanese parts in his film adaptation of Arthur Golden's best-selling "Memoirs of a Geisha" was bound to generate controversy, and it did. But now that the film is opening in Japan, the howls of indignation that greeted Marshall's move are fading to a whisper. Considering the performances, it's hard to figure out what all the fuss was about. Ziyi Zhang, Gong Li and Michelle Yeoh, all of Chinese ethnicity, handle their English-speaking geisha roles with aplomb...

Though its evocation of prewar Japan is not entirely grounded in reality, this visually sumptuous Cinderella story will win over skeptics... While it's a shame that no Japanese actress could meet Marshall's requirements, his choice of Zhang does not disappoint. The 26-year-old Chinese actress, who wowed audiences as a blind dancer in Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers," deftly conveys Chiyo's metamorphosis from ragged housemaid to radiant geisha.

Ziyi's performance has also won praise from American reviewers. LA Weekly says

...Yet I nevertheless found myself falling for the movie’s intoxicating charms — chief among them Zhang Ziyi, whose porcelain skin and watery, blue-gray eyes are repeatedly filmed in screen-filling close-up, and who possesses the pantomimic expressiveness of the great silent-film stars. To watch emotions flash across her face is to behold a calm sea momentarily disturbed by the ripples of a skipped stone. It’s the kind of performance that can make the material seem richer than it actually is. And it’s all the more remarkable in that Zhang, like much of the primary Geisha cast, is far from a fluent English speaker.

And from Comingsoon.net

The main reason to see this movie is Zhang Ziyi, the Chinese ingénue from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"... When you can get three of China's most talented exports to star in your movie, it's hard to go wrong, even if they're not quite as believable as Japanese geishas when they're all speaking in broken English. Still, Ziyi is as lovely and charming as ever, showing off her dancing skills once again in a passionate number done on 7-inch lifts, which is the film's unforgettable showstopper.

Thanks to Moses, Billie-Jean, and CrystalGaia.

12/09/05

Memoirs of a Geisha Interviews

MSN has an excellent five-minute feature about Memoirs of a Geisha that includes interviews with Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh and bits of new footage. They also have two clips from an interview with Memoirs director Rob Marshall, and print interviews with Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, and Gong Li.

Below is a video from FTV Taiwan and I think was made while Ziyi was in New York earlier this month.

New York interview - 2 MB wmv

The New York Daily News has an article titled "5 Minutes with Ziyi Zhang." There is also a long interview with Ziyi at TeenHollywood.

Thanks to Billie-Jean and CrystalGaia for the news.

12/07/05

Ziyi at the Memoirs of a Geisha US premiere

The US premiere of Memoirs of a Geisha was held on Sunday night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Ziyi wore a magnificent white dress and looked as lovely as we have ever seen her. The gallery is below

Memoirs US premiere HQ gallery

Note that I took the Videos page offline for bandwidth reasons, it should be back up tomorrow.

12/05/05

Memoirs of a Geisha news

Here are a few higher quality videos from the Memoirs of a Geisha Tokyo premiere, via Yahoo Japan. First is an interview with Ziyi, in Mandarin with Japanese subtitles. There are three videos of the premiere itself: one, two, three. Finally, from Livedoor is an hour-long video of the press conference.

Memoirs has recieved its first awards nominations of the season from the International Press Academy for the Satellite Awards. Nine nominations total, including Best Actress (Drama) for Zhang Ziyi, Best Supporting Actress (Drama) for Gong Li, Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Director. The complete list is here. Congratulations to Z and the rest of the Memoirs team..

There will be a early screening of Memoirs in Chicago on Dec. 11 at the Siskel Film Center. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.

On Friday, Ziyi attended a benefit screening of Memoirs sponsored by the Santa Barbara Cinema Society. A few pictures are below

As a reminder, the film's US premiere will be on Sunday night, at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Thanks to Hiro, CrystalGaia, Tony, Fanqiemeimei, and Billie-Jean for the news.

12/03/05

New Asience commercial

Ziyi's latest commercial for Asience, the Japanese shampoo company. It continues the new theme titled "Modern Spaces", which dropped the famous red dress in favor of sleeker, more modern outfits - 3 MB swf

In case you missed the commercial where Ziyi literally drops the red dress, watch it here. All of Ziyi's Asience commercials are available on the videos page.

12/03/05

Memoirs world premiere follow up

Sina has posted a video from the premiere of Memoirs of a Geisha, showing the cast on the red carpet, and with comments from Ziyi (in Mandarin), Michelle Yeoh and Rob Marshall. You can download it here: 6 MB wmv

Japan Today asks ordinary Japanese what they think about the controversy of casting Chinese actresses in the lead roles. Two quotes: "Zhang Ziyi is really brilliant and I am sure she handles the role pretty well," and "Zhang Ziyi is a perfect actress for this film."

Rolling Stone has a positive review of the film, "Zhang is loveliness incarnate... Any doubts about three Chinese actresses speaking English with Japanese accents vanish in the face of their deeply felt performances and the world Marshall conjures with magical finesse." And another review from the New York Observer, "If films still aspire to visual art, Memoirs of a Geisha belongs in a museum... So much to see and hear, yet the magic of Memoirs of a Geisha is the human way it touches the heart."

Finally, here are some pictures from a recent Japanese interview.

Thanks to Billie-Jean and CrystalGaia for the news.

11/30/05

Memoirs of a Geisha world premiere

The world premiere for Memoirs of a Geisha was held in Tokyo today. The gallery is below, thanks to Moses for the pictures.

Memoirs world premiere HQ gallery - 22 pics

And here's a short video of Ziyi at yesterday's press conference: 2 MB wmv

11/29/05

Memoirs of a Geisha world premiere press conference

A press conference for Memoirs of a Geisha was held in Tokyo on Monday, in preperation for the world premiere which will be held tonight at the Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena. Japan Today has an excellent article covering the event. Here's a quote from director Rob Marshall

"For the final scenes, we filmed in Kyoto temples that had never allowed filming before. But all throughout, we have tried to pay great respect to Japanese culture. I found the story very daunting to tell, as an American. I especially wanted to honor the profession because a lot of people in the West still don't know what geishas really are. The challenge for me was to bring a beautiful fable to life, to lift the veil on the beauty, joy and heartbreak of being a geisha."

For pictures, see this gallery: Memoirs press conference HQ gallery - 17 pics

Thanks to Moses for the pictures.

11/29/05

Zhang Ziyi in Premiere and USA Weekend

Ziyi is featured in two new magazines this week. There are two pictures of her inside the latest issue of Premiere magazine, and she is featured on the cover of USA Weekend, which also has an interview with her inside. The scans below were made by myself, click to enlarge.

Thanks to Jin for the news.

11/28/05

Memoirs news, Ziyi back at the Aero Theatre

A few weeks ago, I posted about Ziyi attending an early screening of Memoirs of a Geisha at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica on Dec. 5th. After some confusion about whether Z would actually be able to attend, it is now confirmed that she will be there for a discussion after the screening. As a bonus, earlier in the day they will be showing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and 2046.

The LA Times has an informative article about the language difficulties faced on the set.

Then the real work began for the five lead actors who had never acted in English-speaking parts. "Our table read, which normally would last a couple of hours, lasted weeks," Marshall says. The actors spent six weeks perfecting their English, and it was a constant test... Zi yi Zhang says the script was peppered with words that proved nearly insurmountable. "The word 'world' for me is really hard," the actress says in what is now competent and clear English. "One hundred times later, I was able to say it."

Some assorted pictures, including a few HQs

Thanks to Carl Lau and CrystalGaia for the news.

11/26/05

Memoirs press conference pics

Pictures of Ziyi at a Memoirs of a Geisha press conference in Washington D.C. back on November 10th. Thanks to Chian for the tip.

11/26/05

'The Banquet' bamboo forest set pictures

Pictures from the set of The Banquet, as constructed in the Anji bamboo forest near the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. (Parts of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were also filmed in this forest.) In the story, the Crown Prince (Daniel Wu) leaves the royal palace after his father is killed by the new Emperor. He flees to this forest retreat to lead a life immersed in the arts, until he gathers the courage to seek revenge. Below is the set along with various characters in costume, including black knights, an artisan, and singers.

An unknown actor on horseback, along with director Feng Xiaogang and choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping.

Thanks to Phi for the correction regarding Daniel Wu.

11/25/05

More clips from Memoirs of a Geisha

Seven more clips from Memoirs of a Geisha have become available. The first is a longer clip of Sayuri (Ziyi) training in the arts of a geisha. The second clip is a confrontation between Hatsumomo (Gong Li) and Mother (Kaori Momoi), I believe it is the scene where Hatsumomo is told to leave the okiya after Sayuri is formally adopted.

Sayuri's training - 2 MB rm	Hatsumomo - 3 MB rm

Five more clips are available at Movies.go.com. Make sure to see the clips titled "I Want a Life That is Mine". "You Will be Known as Sayuri", and "Lesson of the Cherry Blossom."

11/24/05

Memoirs of a Geisha press video

For the past few days, Zhang Ziyi has been in New York promoting Memoirs of a Geisha. She and other cast members gave interviews to the media and some new footage was released as well. This five-minute video includes those scenes, and comments about the film from Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, and director Rob Marshall: Memoirs press video - 10 MB wmv

An interview with Ziyi has been posted at Dark Horizons. Below are some especially cute pictures taken during her interviews in New York.

11/23/05

Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li in Vogue Magazine

Ziyi and her Memoirs of a Geisha costar Gong Li are featured inside the December issue of Vogue magazine. It includes a three-page article about the film along with a few pictures. You can read the article here: Page1, Page 2, Page 3. The pictures are below were scanned by myself, Ziyi is in the top row and Li in the bottom

Thanks to CrystalGaia of Admiring Gong Li for the article scans.

11/22/05

Zhang Ziyi in Instyle Magazine

Ziyi is featured in the December issue of Instyle magazine. There are three photos of her along with an interview. These were scanned by myself, click to enlarge

11/21/05

Memoirs of a Geisha articles

Two reviews of Memoirs of a Geisha, first from Variety

Rob Marshall follows his smash "Chicago" debut with a consummate piece of traditional studio craftsmanship that bespeaks fastidious planning and execution in all departments. From a filmmaking point of view, this is a work that the old Hollywood moguls themselves would have been proud to present... Zhang is convincing and mesmerizingly beautiful, even if there is an intangible missing from her dialogue delivery in English that gives her somewhat less impact here than she had in her virtuoso performance in Wong Kar-wai's recent "2046."

And from the Hollywood Reporter

The acting in all the major roles is astute. Zhang manages to seize the contradictory qualities of her character -- shyness and uncertainty coupled the defiance and iron will -- and mold them into a memorable female character. Yeoh brings just the right dignity and cautious calculation to the role of Sayuri's mentor. Gong puts the necessary sexuality into hateful Hatsumomo. Watanabe and Yakusho make strong impressions as wealthy men reduced to pandering to Yank occupiers after World War II.

Also an article from the Phillipine Daily Inquirer

When Ziyi talked about the reports that there was a lot of crying among the actresses on the set, perhaps because of the script’s emotional tug, she choked with emotion, too, as she replied. “Last night, I saw the movie for the first time. I cried at the end. I felt like I went back into my character. In the movie there are so many scenes where I could cry out but I thought about who she is. She didn’t want anyone to see her sadness. In the movie, I cried but I didn’t want to show it too much because the Japanese hide their emotions. I usually held my tears until Rob said cut. I go to a corner and I just let it out…” Ziyi bit her lips, trying not to be overcome by emotion but her tears rolled down, and momentarily, she was Sayuri again, touched by her own memoirs.

Finally, here you can see scans from the Entertainment Weekly article and a lovely Italian poster. Thanks to CrystalGaia, Shadow, Carl Lau, and Daniel Zelter.

11/21/05

Ziyi's youth dance videos

Before Zhang Ziyi became an actress, she spent years training in traditional Chinese folk dance, first in elementary school at the Xuanwu District Children's Palace, and later at the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy. Ziyi eventually became a national champion by winning the Performance Prize at the 1994 Taoli Cup Dance Competition.

I posted these videos in the forums a few months ago but forgot to mention them here on Helloziyi.us. In each video, the dance she performs is representative of the traditional style of one of China's ethnic minorities. I believe these videos are from the 1994 Taoli Cup competition, although I am not certain of it.

Dance video 1 - 8 MB wmv	Dance video 2 - 8 MB wmv

For an excellent article where Ziyi discusses her youth, including her experience with dance, see "Zhang Ziyi's First Times Revealed."

Thanks to Snowfei for help in finding these videos.

11/18/05

Zhang Ziyi featured on Maybelline's website

Ziyi is sporting a very new look as the face of Maybelline's Crimson Blaze holiday collection, and Maybelline has also added a "Close-up" profile page devoted to her. Ziyi is quoted there, saying: "'Maybe' is a good word that is filled with potential. It's full of hope and possibilities. I believe every woman should go for the potential and trust that, with determination and belief, they can create any thing they want for themselves."

Update: See this page too

Thanks to R.B. and Joy for the news.

11/16/05

Memoirs of a Geisha video and pictures

Below is the one-minute Memoirs of a Geisha preview that ran on Monday night. It's mostly similiar to the other trailers, but the new material is very effective, and I think it is the best trailer yet. Thanks to Shadow for the video. Beside it is another scan from the photobook.

Memoirs preview - 8 MB avi	Photobook scan

Ziyi and the cast of Memoirs are on the cover of Time Asia. Inside is an detailed report on the film by Richard Corliss, longer and more interesting than his previous essay. Below are some new promo pictures that were released yesterday, there's a total of 43 that you can see here.

Also some behind the scenes shots with Ziyi and director Rob Marshall.

Thanks to Shadow and CrystalGaia.

11/16/05

Princess Raccoon pictures

A few pictures from the special features on the Princess Raccoon DVD. Mostly just Z having fun. Thanks to Xiao Hu for these pics.

A special request: if you speak Japanese or saw Princess Raccon in theatres, and are willing to check over some English subtitles which I've been working on, please email me. Once the subs are finished I will make some video clips for everyone to enjoy.

11/15/05

Sinbad dropped by Sony, Ziyi not on Vogue cover

Sony has dropped all plans of making The 8th Voyage of Sinbad, a project that was to be directed by Rob Cohen and star Keanu Reeves. Cohen had mentioned several times that he wanted Zhang Ziyi to star alongside Keanu, once even going so far as to state that she was on board. But with the huge failure of Cohen's most recent film Stealth, Sony decided Sinbad was too risky.

Two weeks ago I siad there were reports in the Chinese press that Ziyi and Gong Li were set to be on the cover of Vogue for December, unfortunately those reports turned out to be wrong.

Thanks to Nancy for the news.

11/15/05

Ziyi in Marie Claire

Here are scans of Ziyi's entire photospread in China's December issue of Marie Claire. Thanks to Zhufuziyi and Fanqiemeimei for the scans.

11/13/05

Ziyi in Bazaar China

Another set of scans of Ziyi's pictures in the October issue of Bazaar China. I posted an earlier set here.

11/13/05

Memoirs of a Geisha news

Sony and NBC have been advertising a sneak preview of Memoirs of a Geisha that will appear Monday night on the NBC program "Medium" at 10 PM EST.

The official site has been updated with small new pictures if you click on "Customized Photostamps". Also, here are a few more movie-related pictures from the Ziyi photo exhibit in Japan.

Entertainment Weekly has an article about Memoirs titled "Opening the Kimono." A quote

Each female lead was assigned a specific ''mood'' palette: vibrant reds, blues, and greens for Gong Li's intense, scheming Hatsumomo, for instance, versus the ''peaceful, calm colors'' worn by Michelle Yeoh's maternal Mameha. Ziyi Zhang's Sayuri, a servant girl who blossoms into Kyoto's most beloved geisha, undergoes the greatest transformation, which Atwood captured by gradually swapping dark, subdued tones in simple ''gritty-poor'' cotton for ''rich, light'' hues in elegant silk.

Finally, Jane at Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre has some news about the film's tentative release in China

The tentative release date of Memoirs in mainland China is set at January 12th with the Beijing premiere at 9th. Zhang Ziyi, Michelle, and Gong Li are all expected to attend. As usual, the English film will be dubbed into Mandarin and most likely Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi will dub their own voices. Of course all these will depend on the approval of the state film administration (still pending).

Thanks to Phi, Fanqiemeimei, Jin, and Joy for the news.

11/13/05

Memoirs of a Geisha photobook scans, another review

Five scans from Memoirs of a Geisha: A Portrait of the Film. Most of the captions are my own, as the book does not usually say what scene each picture is from. These are fit to be framed, click to enlarge

Another positive review from an early screening of Memoirs has surfaced, this time by Movie City News editor Kristopher Tapley on his blog Incontention. Here's a quote from his review, with some praise for Ziyi

Memoirs of a Geisha is a refreshingly unique and layered tale of twisted and hidden love, repressed desires, and the art of deception, both as a profession and as a necessity... Tackling the leading role of Sayuri with an ease that unquestionably puts her in the hunt for a Best Actress nomination, Ziyi Zhang holds the weight of the film on her shoulders as if born to do so. No novice qualities seep through here in the slightest. No ambivalence or apprehension is apparent. Complete and total control and confidence rule the day.

Thanks to CrystalGaia and Xiayun for pointing out the review.

11/12/05

Memoirs of a Geisha preview screening in Santa Monica, new review

There will be a sneak preview of Memoirs of a Geisha, open to the public, in Santa Monica at the Aero Theatre on Monday, December 5. Tickets are only available at the door on the day on the show. As I mentioned earlier, Ziyi will be attending another preview screening held by the the Santa Barbara Cinema Society on December 2nd, but tickets there start at $275.

Goldderby has posted a new review of Memoirs. Critic Tom O'Neil loved the film. The money quotes:

The attention to detail draws you in slowly to the main character's secret world and to her lonely perspective as an orphan yearning for the love of "The Chairman," a man who once showed her a sweet kindness... This geisha, Chinese superstar Ziyi Zhang, is utterly seductive, both physically and emotionally, and gives such a raw, deeply felt performance that she'll probably be nommed for best actress. A supporting actress bid is likely for her snarling screen nemesis, portrayed by Gong Li... [Director Rob Marshall] has once again proven what a filmmaking winner he is with "Memoirs of a Geisha," the first major Academy Award contender that can be considered a shoo-in for a best picture nomination.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter and CrystalGaia for news.

11/08/05

Ziyi Photo Exhibition in Japan

A five-day photo exhibition devoted to Zhang Ziyi began in Japan on Tuesday.

"The exhibition shows eye-catching pictures, still-frames and posters of all Zhang's films, from her maiden work The Road Home to the latest epic Memoirs of a Geisha, or SAYURI in Japanese. A kimono, which Zhang wore for her leading role in her latest film Memoirs of a Geisha, is also on display, attracting many audiences and fans."

Pictures of the exhibit, a sort of Ziyi muZeum

11/08/05

Ziyi on cover of Marie-Claire

Z is on the cover of the December issue of Marie-Claire in China. Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for finding this nice scan.

11/08/05

Memoirs of a Geisha news

Lots of Memoirs of a Geisha news out today. The official site has been updated with a photo gallery, wallpapers, cast and crew bios, and a bit more. The date for wide release in the US is stated to be December 23rd, despite rumors of a wide release on December 9th. Below are some wallpapers and pictures from the new site

The production notes run to a pleasant 23 pages and discuss geishas, the novel, casting, the actresses' training, set design, costumes, the music and more. Here is an excerpt about the Ziyi's snow dance scene

In the film, the heart and soul that Sayuri pours into her coming-out dance establishes her as the brightest light in the hanamachi. Although a real-life apprentice would rarely if ever be featured in a solo, let alone dance with such abandon, Marshall opted for a Kabuki-influenced choreography for Sayuri’s dramatic solo. The importance of dance in the geisha world resonated with Marshall and choreographer John DeLuca. “I wanted this one dance to convey to the audience the passion and turmoil in Sayuri’s heart. It was incredibly exciting for us to blend our vision as artists with the beautiful traditions of Japanese dance in telling Sayuri’s story.”

The winter-themed dance is performed on a narrow runway or hanamichi (not hanamachi), making it more Kabuki-like. “That was Rob’s idea,” said DeLuca. “The narrowness made it even more difficult with the lights and the snow.” Zhang agreed. “It was definitely a challenge, and I ended up swallowing huge mouthfuls of fake snow. When I first saw the eight-inch platform shoes, I thought they were props. Then John told me I had to dance in them! The dance involved a high degree of acting,” she continued. “It was theater within theater. The music was haunting and very much suited the mood of the jilted woman.”

Zhang’s commitment endeared her to Marshall. “I wonder if anything is too difficult for Ziyi,” he mused. Tachibana felt the same way. “Being graceful in those shoes, making it look effortless, having the kimono flow and the parasol fall into place is a lot to think about. She handled it magnificently.”

Below are some cast pictures, in the top row: Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, and Gong Li; and on the bottom Youki Kudoh (Pumpkin), Ken Watanabe (the Chairman), and Koji Yakusho (Nobu.)

The official site says they will have IM icons soon, but there's already a huge number of fanmade icons at various Livejournal pages. Speaking of fan art, Fayde.com has some nice Memoirs related blends (look under Challenge 15.)

The Los Angeles Times has an article today titled "Eastern lore, Western allure" that discusses the costumes and has a few new pictures

To create the costumes for "Memoirs of a Geisha," Academy Award-winning designer Colleen Atwood also had to understand and portray an exacting culture. "In Japan, there are rules for everything," she says, "so what you wear in a particular season is very well-defined."... Atwood thinks audiences will respond to the femininity of the costumes and the beauty of the fabrics used, but she acknowledges that what the Japanese consider sexy is different from the Western ideal. "The whole idea is to have mystery," she says. "It's all about hidden treasures.".. The silhouette of a kimono fastened with a thick obi is barrel-like; it pads and obscures the body. Atwood altered the costumes slightly to create a shape more palatable to modern audiences. "We wanted to see a shoulder, to have the illusion of a waist and have a sense of breasts beneath the kimono," she says. "We were trying to honor the form but make it more accessible, so we made the obi fit tight against the body to sort of glam it up."

Below are the LA Times pictures, a Sayuri billboard in Japan, and the new cover of the novel, which is now available in bookstores.

Finally, Apple has posted a slightly higher quality version of the Japanese trailer which you can download - 17 MB mov

Thanks to Fanqiemeimei, CrystalGaia of Admiring Gong Li, and Jane of Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre.

11/08/05

Ziyi in Fujinjoron magazine

Ziyi will be featured in at least 20 Japanese magazines as the hype for Memoirs of a Geisha builds up. Here she is on the cover of Fujinkoron, with some lovely pictures inside. These are not scans but photographs of the pages

11/08/05

Trade ad for The Banquet

Below is a advertisement for The Banquet which ran in an industry publication, probably Variety. From the ad we learn that a promo reel for the film was shown last week at the American Film Market, an industry convention where the distribution rights to films are sold. Beside the ad is a new set picture showing director Feng Xiaogang, along with actor Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers) who was visiting the set.

11/08/05

2046 DVD cover

Here is the cover for Sony's 2046 DVD, which will be released on December 27th. It's a good cover, though I still think the gorgeous French poster is the best artwork made for the film.

Thank to Billie-Jean.

11/08/05

"The Making of a Geisha"

Time magazine has an article about Memoirs of a Geisha by Richard Corliss, with brief comments from the actresses, director Rob Marshall, and producer Steven Spielberg

Geisha revives the sweeping spirit both of old-fashioned, mature film romance and of a day when Hollywood believed it could tell stories of any country or culture.... "When I saw Rob's version of Geisha," [Spielberg] says, "I realized that he was a much better choice than me. I like that it was like Kabuki theater. The pauses, the looks of the characters, were all little moments of directorial authorship. The close-ups of the hands in pouring the tea. The shots of the geishas' kimono trains wriggling like the tail of a fish through a stream. Rob took the liquid metaphor of the water in Sayuri's eyes and created a river of images. It seemed to be planned by the heart. But it was planned. He had a picture in his mind, and he fought until the picture was on film."

11/06/05