Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Contributed by Jess:
A golden olden, by – appropriately named – Arthur Golden. The film adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha was first released in late 2005, based on Golden’s best-selling novel of the same title. Unlike many novel-based films, this one certainly does the book justice. With the superb direction from Rob Marshall, the film takes place in Japan and centres on the life of a girl named Chiyo, whose poor family sells her to a geisha house (okiya) in Gion. Her sister, Satsu, is less fortunate, and, not being beautiful enough to have a promising future as a geisha, is forced into a life of prostitution as a mere teenager. Chiyo first enters the okiya as a pre-pubescent girl, and thus has to work as a servant until she comes of age. With her unusual yet beautiful ‘water-like’ eyes, the women who run the okiya are certain that Chiyo will become a successful geisha, and will offer her the adequate training on the condition that she works hard and behaves well while under their care. The leading geisha at the okiya, however, takes an intense disliking towards Chiyo, manipulating her and abusing her ruthlessly, which prompts Chiyo to run away from the okiya. Her attempt is unsuccessful, and as a result she is condemned to life as a servant. Is Chiyo able to escape this sentence? Does she reunite with her family? Does she find the love that she seeks so desperately? Well, I hardly think I’m going to spoil it all and tell you the ending – go find out for yourselves! You won’t regret it; I give Memoirs of a Geisha 4 stars.

Precious (2009)

If you're looking for "uplifting", then "Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire" might not be the film for you. However, the film is still powerful, and brings to light the abuse of poor youth in the U.S. Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is an illiterate, overweight teen living in Harlem, who suffers physical, sexual, and mental abuse by her mother and late father, who impregnated Precious twice. When Precious becomes inspired by her teacher and new friends at an alternative school, Precious realizes she's worth more than what her mother tells her she is. With the help of a social worker (played by Mariah Carey sans make-up), Precious seeks to find happiness outside of her abusive home. The true stand out of the film is comedienne Mo'Nique, who defies her typecast playing Precious's terrifying abusive mother, and her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film won't become a classic by any means, but any film that attempts to shed light on human abuses can be worth a watch. 5 out of 10 stars.

Tree of Life (2011)

Defining "Tree of Life" is quite a challenge. For neutrality's sake, we'll call it "experimental". Summarizing it is even more of a challenge. The simplest storyline of the film is that of Jack O'Brien's (Sean Penn) life, traveling between his somewhat troubled youth and his current life as an architect. As a young boy, he is raised by his parents, played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. Mr. O'Brien is a strict, rough father, who believes his tough parenting will help his boys succeed. Mrs. O'Brien is far kinder, and clearly the favorite of her three sons. In between this storyline, we are taken through apparently the creation of the planet, which is somehow supposed to tie in with Jack O'Brien's life. While Terrence Malick's film is visually beautiful, there doesn't seem to be much coherence to the storyline, and not knowing what to take away from a film is quite frustrating. If someone else can riddle out the meaning of "Tree of Life", let me know. 3 out of 10 stars.

Monster (2003)

Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci star in the crime drama "Monster", the story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute turned serial killer who killed six men and was later executed in Florida. Theron stars as Wuornos, and Ricci as Selby Wall, Wuornos's friend/girlfriend. Aileen decides to quit prostitution and find a proper job, only to find that her lack of education, people skills, and good looks keep her from finding anything. She returns to prostitution to keep Selby and herself from starving. When one customer attempts to rape her, she murders him, and takes all his money, thus beginning her murder spree. While "Monster" wasn't the most uplifting film of the year, it was remarkable for how it was able to give the audience an understanding of Aileen's psyche. Having been mistreated and abused in younger years, she became more and more cynical of the world, and particularly of men (which is where her attraction to Selby develops). Feelings of sympathy towards a serial killer don't come often, but the film manages to invoke them. Above all, Theron gives arguably one of the most astounding performances of modern cinema, and she was award the Academy Award for Best Actress. Turning a beautiful leading lady into a decidedly unattractive murderer isn't always a safe gamble, but the results are astounding in this case. 6 out of 10 stars.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo star in "Hotel Rwanda", a film chronicling the tragedies of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, which claimed approximately 800,000 lives. Tensions between Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups lead to war, and corruption and bribery become key to survival. When hotel manager Paul (Cheadle) and his wife Tatiana (Okonedo) witness the murder of several of their Tutsi neighbors, he takes his family and neighbors to the safety of his hotel. Soon, other refugees arrive at the hotel, and Paul takes them in, despite the dangers involved. He bravely attempts to protect both his family and others, despite being deserted by the U.N. Peacekeeping forces. Appropriately referred to as an African "Schindler's List", the film is both powerful and painful, and is a wonderful example of cinema's ability to inform an unaware public of the atrocities that nations and people often face. The suspense of the film helps propel the storyline and Cheadle and Okonedo are astounding in their career-defining roles. The film was justly nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. Much like "Schindler's List", it's a film that everyone should watch at least once. 7 out of 10 stars.

Spotlight On... March 2012

March 2012: Jennifer Lawrence

Spotlight On: Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence first came to prominence when "Winter's Bone" won Best Picture at the Sundance Film Festival. Her performance as Ree Dolly earned her numerous award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and at 20, Lawrence became the second youngest actress ever to receive a nomination, with Keisha Castle-Hughes being the youngest at 13. Following this, she starred as Mystique in X-Men: First Class in 2011. This month, she'll become a household name with her performance as Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptation of "The Hunger Games".

Spotlight On... February 2012

February 2012: Jessica Chastain

Spotlight On: Jessica Chastain

Perhaps the biggest breakout star of 2011, Jessica Chastain starred in 6 films, including 'The Debt', 'Tree of Life', and 'The Help', the latter two both garnering Oscar nominations for Best Picture. For her role as Celia Foote in 'The Help', Chastain received her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Being one of the biggest hits of the year, 'The Help' has helped launched her career as a major movie star, and she's definitely the star to watch in 2012, even if she doesn't take home Oscar gold.