Posted on: Friday, December 23, 2005
Co-stars of 'Geisha' thrill Baron
Advertiser Staff
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who plays the Baron in "Memoirs of a Geisha," had rave reviews for his co-stars:
Ziyi Zhang (Sayuri): "It was amazing to watch her work. She had done the Chinese method, which is highly abusive, and she learned how to stay focused. I watched her do her dance sequence over and over again with no rest and no complaining. She's only in her 20s, but she brought a range of emotions playing a character that moves from innocence to fully blossomed maturity. I don't know if there is a Japanese actress who could have taken on that role."
Michelle Yeoh (Mameha): "She looked very comfortable on the set and she helped Zi quite a lot. She was a great grounding point for Zi and for the film."
Gong Li (Hatsumomo): "It's amazing to see that much beauty. She's like a force of nature. Just to stand near her was an experience of a lifetime. It's one of those moments so rare, you should really cherish the time. She's charismatic and she's passionately committed to her work. She had a deep sexuality that is different from the western idea of sex; it's very deep and very spiritual."
Ken Watanabe (the Chairman): "His character is interesting because it's so opposite from the one he played in 'The Last Samurai.' I'm happy for him. I think he's going to be the go-to guy from here on."
Koji Yakusho (Nobu): "He's one of the top film actors in Japan. To see his power was amazing, even though he doesn't speak a word of English. He certainly has a place (in Hollywood)."
