Clocking in at an exhausting two and a half hours, Geisha is an intriguing, yet meaningless tale of the lives of Japan’s upper-crust courtesans. Though about a distinct facet of Japanese culture, Geisha stars mostly notable Chinese actors, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh. Ken Wantanabe (The Last Samurai) and the scene-stealing Youki Kudoh are the only Japanese actors playing Japanese characters. It’s as though the filmmakers took all the Asian actors recognizable to an American audience, threw them together and thought Americans would never notice that they’re not authentic to the setting. It’s this faux paux and a story that ultimately bears no meaning, beyond being very pretty, that drag Geisha down.
– Alexa DeGennaro, Muse Staff