Memoirs of a Geisha

So I watched this movie with MDH today.

The cinematography was remarkably beautiful. However, the script didn't seem to deliver. I guess that is what happens when you get chinese-speaking actresses to deliver their lines in a language that is foreign to them. I felt like they were struggling with their diction. Gong-Li was excellent as always (but I'm a fan, so maybe I'm biased) and she made Zhang Ziyi look pathetically stilted. MDH was horrified - he rather liked Zhang Ziyi since her 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' days...but she didn't really have to show much character - most of her work was in her swordplay.

I've read lots of reviews that complain about 'westernising' the Japanese culture as portrayed in the film. Arthur Golden, as well researched as he may be, doesn't seem at all Japanese to me. In fact, I've often thought that the main character, Sayuri, held rather western ideals.

All the same, the book is amazing and the film somehow appears to miss the point.