Yôkirô

And it definitely deserves higher than a 6.9. I'm giving it an 8 on tough scale. Really remarkable movie. I don't get my kicks shooting down Hollywood movies, but the most obvious comparison of course is Memoirs of a Geisha, and this one squashes it in terms of giving you a believable look into geisha affairs -- alongside a compelling, non-linear story. Performances are solid to great across the board, with Ken Ogata's character becoming an instant-favorite of mine. As I understand it this one was something of an award-winning, all-around big deal in Japan. Would've thought it was headed for major cross-over status, but for whatever reason--the quirky non-linearity of the story probably contributing--it didn't achieve it.