Rating: 
Summary: My first experience with a Greenaway movie
Review: 8 1/2 Women was the first Greenaway movie I have ever seen, though I've heard a lot about his style from my boyfriend who enjoys his movies.Having no base for comparison other than the many mainstream movies I have seen, I can say that this was an interesting but slightly disturbing and confusing movie. It is full of a great deal of suggestive sexual situations, though you never really see anything carried through (which I think is a good thing considering the varied subject matter--incest, bestiality, etc.). There is quite a bit of nudity in the film too, though that doesn't seem to be usual for Greenaway. Though this movie is apparently tame for fans of Peter Greenaway, I thought it was okay. I wouldn't put it in my top 10 desert island all-time favorite movies, but it certainly isn't the worst movie I've seen. I will have to see it again sometime to make sense of some parts of the movie, but it won't be any time soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: After seeing Vivian Wu's performance in the movie Pillow Book, which was exceptionally great, I expected a similar performance in 8 1/2 Women. Unfortunately, this is a movie without much of a plot that has as much (if not more) male nudity as female nudity. An example of this was during the funeral of the wife of one of the main characters, who stripped down completely when he was told he couldn't wear white at the funeral. It made absolutely no sense. I was hoping that the DVD would have some deleted scenes that could have made the movie more interesting, but there weren't any. A major disappointment, both for Vivian Wu fans (she had only a small role in the movie, with no love/sex scenes) and movie buffs in general.
Rating: 
Summary: Thrillingly good
Review: I didn't enjoy watching this film at the cinema so,
although I wanted to complete my collection, once I
had bought the DVD I put off watching it for 9 months.
But when I did, I found it compelling - witty, fast-paced
and intriguing. But best of all was the image quality.
Far from suffering from noise filtering artefacts like
most DVDs, it manages to retain what looks very much like
film grain. The colour rendition is also amongst the best
I have seen on a DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Not Greenaway's best...
Review: I have found that Mr. Greenaway has been forgetting plot altogether in many of his more recent films. All's well with that if you replace plot with visuals so stunning as to make the film a moving painting or sculpture. It's something else entirely when you start to rely on clever "in" jokes with your long-standing audience. Peter, we know you're clever and funny and brilliant so stop trying to prove it. Just my two cents. It's still twenty times the better than any other film released in '99.
Rating: 
Summary: where's nyman?
Review: I still haven't made it through this one. After "Pillow Book" I was so looking forward to the next Greenaway film. This one did not satisfy. The absense of a musical score is like John Waters filming in Chicago!?
Rating:
Summary: Lukewarm Greenaway
Review: I think I have to start by noting that I'm a biased reviwer, due to the fact that I'm a hardcore Greenaway fan. That said, his latest, 8 1/2 Women is interesting at best. I've always said that painters make some of the best "visual" movies, from Julian Schnabel to Peter Greenaway here. He's created some of the masterpieces of cinema, from Cook the Thief His... to The Draughtsman's Contract. But here he just doesn't seem to be trying anymore. This still isn't a bad movie, though. In fact, I bought in on DVD after I saw the movie in theaters, and I still watch it every once in a while, but this definitely is NOT for Greenaway virgins. His visual sense is once again in full force, though not as much so as in some of his 80's films. But there's a lot less on the screen here than there is in his better films. I can honestly say that one of the major themes here is sex, which is a major step down from most Greenaway films. True, sex is a dominant image in his work, but he's never made a film ABOUT sex, until now. Still this isn't as bad as the misfires Baby of Macon and Drowning by Numbers. But even those films were interesting, and they explored subjects thoroughly, though somewhat ambiguously. 8 1/2 Women is a must for any major Greenaway fan, but anyone not interested in his work should probably avoid this.
Rating:
Summary: Allow me to defend "8 1/2 Women"....
Review: I've recently found myself being pulled into a swirling vortex of obsession with the works of Peter Greenaway. The man creates such a distinct atmosphere with the staging of his films, the cinematography, and the sets embodying a lavishness and beauty that clashes against dark, audacious, perverse, and indeed evil themes to cause a fascinating cacophony. Much of his output could be classified as surreal simply because of this instantly palpable dissonance.
"8 1/2 Women" is no different. Yes, it doesn't have the viciousness of "The Cook, The Thief...", or the delicious puzzlement of "Drowning By Numbers", but what it does have is the unmistakable Greenaway atmosphere and an air of utmost dream-like elegance, once again grinding against frank sexual obsession and perversion and an uncontrollable spiral of loss and grief.
I'll leave the plot details that are to be found in other reviews, but will say that I found this film a joy to watch. From the very beginning (particularly the experimental and kinetic sequence that opens the film), I was enthralled. With Greenaway, sometimes you don't want to look, but you can't turn away (to spoil the surprise a bit, the infamous incest incident is not shown...only very strongly implied). As the film wears on, it does take on a more fragmented, slice-o-life type of approach, but the episodal manner in which the progress of the bordello is documented actually conveys the chaos well. In such an arrangement, the only way to really give an idea of the vibes surrounding the downfall of the house is to give examples, then tell us how it finally came to self-destruct... which is done. Those who complain about lack of closure can only be speaking about the question of what becomes of the son after the house empties itself, but how much do you want handed to you? The movie is 2 hours long! A case of "The meal was terrible.. and the portions too small!"
Speaking of which, I'll end the review saying that those who hated it.... give it another chance? You know by now that half of the magic of Greenaway's idiosyncratic films is visual. Nobody has denied the beauty of "8 1/2 Women". So let yourself sink into that odd beauty, and maybe you'll be able to appreciate the distinct and conscious style that the characters execute.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat lacking in usual complexity
Review: In most of his films, Peter Greenaway has at least an undercurrent of suggestion that the prime function of women is to ruin mens' lives, usually with the help of the men in question. This film, more than any of his others (with the possible exception of the excellent "Drowning By Numbers", brings this suggestion to the fore, by using it as a primary message, rather than as a symptom of the unravellings of the plot. Unfortunately (probably due to this approach), there are not many subplots present, and thus, the film lacks somewhat in complexity, as compared with some of his earlier work. An interesting nod to Bunuel's "That obscure object of desire" is present, in the form of earthquakes which happen at key points in the development of the film. The overall character setup (father and son, adjusting to the loss of theit wife/mother) is similar to the that of the twins in "A Zed And Two Noughts", but the surrounding ensemble of characters is less varied, since in this case, it consists entirely of the women that the two bring to live at their house as concubines, and who gradually reverse the roles during the course of the story. Like all Greenaway films, this one is beautifully filmed and intrinsically disturbing; unlike most, it becomes actively involved in discussing film as a subject in itself, from the onscreen descriptions in text of each major scene, to the characters' habit of discussing the motives of various directors, most notably Fellini. I preferred this film to "The Pillow Book", most probably because I despise Ewan McGregor, but I cannot see it as being up to scratch with any of his earlier work, although for Greenaway enthusiasts, it is nevertheless a "must have". The sound and video on this DVD are outstanding.
Rating: 
Summary: GREENAWAY'S PARTING SHOT
Review: It's no wonder Peter Greenaway wants to quit making films; he is probably the MOST misunderstood filmmaker alive today. This film, his latest, is actually incredibly funny. In fact, the humor and wit are brilliant, ascerbic, sharp and penetrating. The characterizations are searing and engrossing. Highly recommended for fans of his oeuvre and novices alike.
Rating:
Summary: uhm o.k.?
Review: Lynne:If it's possible to make a film that could be deemed "enjoyably bad"; do you think its possible to do the opposite?
Don:What you mean "unenjoyably good?"
Lynne:Yes.
Don:Uhm,well--(DOORBELL RINGS)
Lynne:Excuse me for a moment.
Don:Well no I don't(brief pause) to be quite honest.
(Lynne without hesitation pulls open the front door revealing the filmmaker Peter Greenaway framed by the late afternoon's fleshy glow.STUDIO APPLAUSE.Greenaway holds for the applause with a knowing smirk before entering the doorway.)
Peter:I respectfully beg to differ motherf***er.
STUDIO APPLAUSE
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