Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha was released in Australia yesterday and I ventured out to see it, after my second-to-last shift at my yucky part-time job!

I have only found out since watching it that it has been reviewed pretty badly. But I (perhaps with some level of bias having just visited Japan) found it to be a mesmerising and beautiful story. I am yet to read the book, so that might have made a difference. I did think it was peculiar that all of the main geisha were played by Chinese actors though, and I am curious to see whether that will impact upon the film's reception in Japan. This had an effect on the English accent that each had- i.e. it did not sound like a Japanese accent, but to criticise the way the English was spoken (ala The Movie Show) I think was a bit rich! Watching geisha shuffle around with American accents for example, would have been absolutely ridiculous.
(See: http://www20.sbs.com.au/movieshow/index.php?action=review&id=1865)

Anyway, I enjoyed it and I am fussy about films! I am curious to see what other people think.