Memoirs of a Geisha

I did NOT like this movie. And to think I waited so long to watch it, wanting to finish reading the novel first before viewing the movie.

What should I expect really? The novel itself wasn't that spectacular. Yes it was interesting. But it was more because of the cultural references to the geisha and their way of life, and to how the people in the Japan of old lived. I liked imagining the geisha putting on their complicated makeup, how they had to sleep with their necks supported so that their hair wouldn't touch the floor and get ruined (boy, their hair must really stink), how they had to wear their elaborate and beautiful kimonos, with the long trailing obi signifying a geisha's status as a young maiko... I liked reading about stuff like that.

But as for the story of the novel itself, I guess it couldn't be called original and thought-provoking. So really, I shouldn't have expected to get a wonderful experience from watching the movie.

But definitely, better acting would have made the movie much, much better. Okay maybe they were having trouble pronouncing all those complicated English dialogues. But still, they should have worked more on giving more feeling to their performances. I swear, after the scenes showing the artistry and traditions of geisha were over, I got so bored with the movie I couldn't wait for it to end. Even the final scene between Sayuri and the Chairman came off flat and ineffective. Ho-hum!

Hay.. I'm so disappointed. I love Zhang Ziyi pa naman.