I read it. I saw it. I dislike it.

Having followed the development and making of the movie, I finally dragged my boyfriend along to see Memoirs of a Geisha the other night.

I waited in line for what seemed like eternity, and panicked into a lost cause as I saw the board above the counter flash "limited tickets left" next to the movie I wanted to watch... but - no need to panic. I managed to get the tickets and rushed my boyfriend into the cinema where we took our seats in the front row, in the corner (bad bad bad).

Anyways, having read Arthur Golden's novel, I must say that the movie certainly did bring the vividness of my imagination to life. The sets, the colours, the kimonos - they were all that I had imagined, and in that respect, the director did a fantastic job conveying the feeling of the geisha world . Aspects of the casting too were amazing, especially Gong Li as Hatsumomo who did an amazing job with her stellar glare, and her ferocious beauty, and of course, the young actress who played Sayuri/Chiyo, who was incredibly gorgeous and conveyed the emotions of a little girl lost perfectly.

And that's where it all crumbled. Aspects that were important to the development of the storyline just were not there. There was no emphasis placed on the role of Nobu, and his never satisfied relationship with Sayuri, there was no role for the fierce upbringing and strict rules of the okiya, of granny and of mother, no mention of the General and the role he played between Nobu and Sayuri, and the introduction of the great geisha Mameha was less than adequate. But more importantly, what was missing was the intense emotion that should've been felt between the Chairman and Sayuri. All i saw was a little girl crush, very little inklings of a life of tragic love, and when they finally got together, I almost cringed.

In all, I think the movie was beautiful, but lacked the emotional depth and development that is characteristic of the worldwide best seller that Golden wrote...