Opinion: Memoirs of a Geisha

Like most good things, Memoirs of a Geisha took me a while to appreciate. When the film was over, I thought it was rather strange, but I had the same opinion of Norwegian Wood before I thought deeply about it. This movie definitely has some aspects to it that require pondering, so be careful not to jump to conclusions if you are to watch it. I award Memoirs of a Geisha, a story of love and sacrifice, 7/10 stars.
First off, Japanese art forms are hard to comprehend for North Americans because our cultures are something close to opposite. The Japanese have tight family bonds and are among the most respectful people in the world - looking straight into the eyes of another person is even considered a social phobia in Japan as they fear they might offend somebody. They appreciate complicated concepts hidden behind simple appearances. Of course, I am in no position to apply these generalizations to every single Japanese person, but these values are (or at least were) held high in the Japanese culture. In short, to understand why events unfolded the way they did in the movie, one needed to move away from their own culture and wrap themselves in a kimono.
The storyline was interesting enough without seeming over-the-top or fake. The characters were not especially lovable, but that is part of the cold beauty of the culture. What surprised me the most about this movie was the stunning set design and the make-up. The geisha were perfect, not a single strand of hair out of place; the design of the town and the inside of the houses was traditional Japanese and really beautiful; attention to detail was evident at every scene. It was well worth watching just for the props and costumes. Next, the soundtrack! John Williams is a musical genius - he composed music to fit the movie, not to mirror it. Any monkey could have plucked some strings and called it a soundtrack. Williams added his personal touches with deep cello and ascending wind instruments, as well as several breath-taking violin solos. Traditional Japanese music was heard as well, adding on to the feeling. A cute bonus was that the child version of the main character looked very similar to her adult self, something rarely seen in movies. The theme was recurring - look for happiness in everything, while you still can. This worked well with the ending, where any chance of joy was taken away.
Now to what I didn't like about the movie. What really irritated me was the fact that the actors simply did not speak English very well. I had to strain my ears and read their lips to catch what was being said. Surprisingly, I got a good grip on the storyline and even some extras, but I still didn't like making an effort to understand basic sentences. Next, the filming skill was iffy in some scenes, as the camera-man was making sure the camera was going super straight and remained focused on the subject, all to fail at the end with a little bit of shaking. I got used to it eventually, but noticed it right away, which took off some stars. The ending rather disappointed me as I wasn't prepared for an American intervention in this Japanese work of art.
Despite these drawbacks, the movie scored high with me and I liked it a lot. I'm still hooked on it - I find myself thinking about it and reflecting upon it; I also plan to read the book soon.