"Memoirs of a Geisha" is like a sumptuous piece of silk: stunning yet ultimately flimsy. You wish it were more like a kimono, richly woven, multilayered and more substantial.

With its gorgeous cinematography, costumes and production design, "Geisha" is a visual feast, but it lacks emotional heft and leaves the viewer strangely unsatisfied.

Played by an expressive Suzuka Ohgo, Chiyo, a 9-year-old peasant girl from a fishing village, is taken to Kyoto to work in a geisha house in Depression-era Japan. Her indentured servitude is a prelude to becoming a geisha, which is still a job in the service industry, albeit a more glamorous one.

After she is schooled in the arts of dance, tea ceremonies, flirtatious conversation and projecting an air of mystery, the shy Chiyo is transformed into the alluring and graceful Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang). The exotic grey-eyed beauty is a determined young woman who goes on to become one of the most celebrated geishas of her time.

But along the way, she must withstand the avarice of "Mother," who runs the geisha house, and the cruelty and jealousy of Hatsumomo (Gong Li), as well as the indignities of her trade.

As a teen, her virginity is up for the taking, a prize men bid on. She stoically endures this hard life, her attitude leavened by the counsel and friendship of her mentor geisha, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh).

Underlying every action is her secret devotion to a powerful man known as The Chairman (Ken Watanabe). Sayuri's voiceover narration underscores this with corny utterances such as "I would lock away my heart and save it for him."

Based on Arthur Golden's entertaining best-seller, the movie deviates only slightly from his narrative, but it lacks the book's haunting power. The dialogue often feels forced, and there's a placidity to the pacing and performances that borders on dullness.

And the characters lack dimension. Hatsumomo is pure evil, promising Sayuri, "I will destroy you!" Mother is the epitome of greed, Mameha is kind, the Chairman is wise. No one seems to have much depth or complexity, so it's hard to work up much interest or compassion.

"Geisha" looks rich and appealing but feels static and remote. Substantial effort went into re-creating an authentic look of 1930s-era Japan, but not enough attention was given to developing fully realized characters.

Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter and some sexual content.