2007 / Mika Ninagawa > Having been unable to watch more than 10 minutes of Memoirs of a Geisha, I delved into Sakuran with a level of skepticism. But Ninagawa’s depiction of oiran lifestyle is a drastic difference in mood, style and enjoyment. (Of note is that oiran are high-class courtesans while geisha are usually considered entertainers. As it turns out, the rise of geisha led to the eventual decline of oiran culture.) Taking a cue from Marie Antoinette, the film’s best attribute may be its successful mixing in of contemporary pop music within an Edo period setting. Otherwise, the pacing isn’t half-bad, and there’s something magnetic about Anna Tsuchiya’s portrayal of Kiyoha that finds one glued to the screen. The story itself isn’t particularly novel, but as it stands, it’s a fine romantic drama on its own right.