Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely stunning - a feast for the eyes and mind.
Review: Peter Greenaway's "The Pillow Book" is by far one of the best films I have ever seen. Lush photography, classy erotica, and a wonderfully off-beat story fall perfectly into place in this masterpiece of art film. Many detractors of Greenaway will argue that his films wreak of pretension, but I believe that in an MTV saturated culture like the current one in the US - anything that has an ounce of intellect will be criticized the way Greenaway has. Familiar Greenaway themes are once again revisited in this film - lust, art and revenge. A young calligrapher-writer (Vivian Wu) seeks revenge from the publisher who had blackmailed and abused her father while she was a child. In doing so she falls in love with Jerome, a free spirited translator (Ewan McGregor). It is then through Jerome that she intends to inflict her revenge. Writing her stories on the nude bodies of male models, she sets out to complete her task. As you can see - the trademark 'slightly' off-beat world that Greenaway is so fond of is once again portrayed in "The Pillow Book". Where else can a woman write stories on the flesh of her male subjects and send them off as her messengers? This is something I love about Greenaway cinema - he takes you from this world into a another one; one where things are just a 'bit' off. "The Pillow Book" is a glorious breath of fresh air - but it is not for the faint of heart or the prudish. In addition to a particularly explict blood-and-guts scene in the middle of the picture, full frontal nudity (male and female) and some graphic depictions of sex are common place. Yet Greenaway is able to maintain class in the midst of footage that could easily have been exploitative. Furtheremore, "The Pillow Book" has a very deliberate pace to it - and it's quite slow, but steady. Like Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut", this film is not for those with low attention spans who aren't interested in dialogue and the imagery of film. "The Pillow Book" is ultimately my favorite Greenaway film for one important reason: heart. Unlike Greenaway's other films that have a certain degree of coldness to them, "The Pillow Book" is a celebration of love - and the appreciation of love, and the loss of love.
Rating:
Summary: Sensual, erotic & languid
Review: At the beginning of the film we see a little girl being written upon by her father. The film then moves to the girl as an adult, and seeking lovers who will write on her body again. She meets a bisexual Englishman, who also likes to be written on, and she finds out he is also a former lover of a man who has previously betrayed her father. Greenaway uses some of the techniques from Prospero's Books, in the way the film is shown, with small rectangular boxes containing other images. The film is beautiful to look at, as per usual with Greenaway's films. There is also a seductive French song that plays at times during the film, a sensuous lady performs this tune, and it is very appropriate to the film. The film is erotic, with plenty of nudity on view. I do think the film is a bit languid at times though, and this hurts it, but it's still an impressive piece of cinema. The DVD picture are sound are both very good, but the disc could have done with more extras.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually stunning, but painfully boring
Review: Normally, I couldn't be dragged to an art film at gunpoint. There was a time when calling something "art" meant it had to be good--now, we just call it art when we don't know what else to call it. In the case of "The Pillow Book," however, my curiosity got the better of me. I became a fan of Ewan McGregor after seeing "The Phantom Menace" and wanted to check out his other works. "The Pillow Book" could be defined as art--visually, it's quite stunning (assuming nothing was computer enhanced!)--but it lacks depth on all other counts. A show of hands here--how many of you actually go to see a movie for the cinematography? The majority of filmgoers can't even remember the names of those involved with a film beyond the actors, directors, and--maybe--the writers. Most of us are looking for an involving story populated by characters with whom we can make an emotional connection. Except for Vivian Wu's Nagiko--who was too much of a wuss to even like--the lack of character development and the threadbare plot made this impossible. I have to agree with Jerome's mother, who, after his funeral, commented that Nagiko was "fashionable"--translated, all style and no substance. Much like this film. McGregor's an incredibly talented actor--hopefully, he'll start making films worthy of that talent.
Rating:
Summary: A Pretentious Mess
Review: This is the type of shallow, pretentious drek critics and snobs love. The tone of this film is so knowing that it borders upon smarmy. You see characters you don't like, suffer through a plot that doesn't exist, put up with bad editing and acting. All of these things act in service for Peter Greenaway to play out his neuroses. It's less a movie than art therapy. It incorporates typical Greenaway themes: human cruelty, art & architecture, transcendence of beauty, numbers, and lots of naked people (this time, with writing on them). Again he manages to cram all that stuff into interesting looking pictures. And again he manages to say nothing substantial about them. (A better Greenaway treatment of these themes is "The Cook, The Thief...") Greenaway pulls a scrim before you in "The Pillow Book" and dares you to interpret his underlying messages behind the veil. But there's nothing there. Like "Prospero's Books," "The Pillow Book" looks great--if one could hang a movie in a frame like a painting, Greenaway would be the man. His tricks can only take this mess only so far. Such sins are excusable with a strong plot, interesting characters, effective music and editing, or even sex, but don't look for those elements in "The Pillow Book." It could the most boring erotic movie ever made. Ewen McGregor acquits himself in a thankless role but Vivian Wu is horrible. You don't give a damn about her character; the way Wu plays it makes you want to strangle her. As one reviewer below put it, if you want to look at beautiful nude male bodies, well, then you've come to the right place. But save some money and buy a "Chippendale's" calendar instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Bohemian cultsy, mess with no points
Review: I watched it with friends and really could not wait to get it over with. It's sick and quite disturbing. I love the Pillow Book ("Makura Soshi") by Sen Shonagon that has survived 8 centuries, probably the only piece of authentic Japanese arts from these times that shines with warmth and humanity. But this movie has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Makura Soshi and Sei Shonagon. Created by messed up minds and for their kins, visually compelling, great camerawork, great calligraphy, and that's the only reason why I don't call it "complete trash."
Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL BODIES
Review: If you love to stare at nude luscious men, this is the VIDEO! I enjoyed it for hours! All the other reviews were right, this video is GREAT. The quivering male organs...the gleam of light on supple hairless skin...the curves of each exquisite muscle...it's ART in its purest form. If you love to examine the nude male, and marvel at its beauty, this is a GREAT video for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Mistake
Review: WARNING: This movie is _NOT_ widescreen anamorphic as the info says. This is cropped. From the movie box: "This movie, while filmed in multi aspect ratios, has been reformatted to fit your T.V." I give the movie 5 stars, it's truly amazing, but I give Columbia Tristar 1 star for cropping a film that not only deserves but also requires the full aspect of the original. Average it out and you get 3 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: A great movie, but the DVD...
Review: The Pillow Book, is an outstanding movie by Peter Greenaway, the visuals are awesome, the story is interesting and acting is good. I recommend you to rent it before you buy it, because I know some people didn't like it at all, or just hated. Now, if you decide to buy it, be very careful, this DVD is NOT IN WIDESCREEN FORMAT, this means, it has been re-formatted to fit your TV, then some of the image has been cut out [It's not widescreen anamorphic]. I didn't had the chance to watch this movie on theaters, so I really don't know how much was left behind. I owe the VHS and DVD so I can tell you, the DVD has a clearer image quality, but not outstanding, and the sound is just 2 channel, not 5.1 Dolby Digital as many many other DVDs on the market. The DVD contains a great trailer. I suggest you buy the DVD then (it's still better than VHS), but I still hope there will be someday a widescreen version for such an outstanding film. (An audio commentary will have been an excellent option to include as extra feature here)
Rating:
Summary: THE TRANSCENDENT WORD
Review: In the strict and rigidly defined gender roles of women in feudal, Imperial Japan, one solace women had were their "pillow books", journals where they could pour out their thoughts, yearnings, fears and hopes. This beautiful movie is a modern "pillow book", one woman's attempt to define herself in a world where traditional definitions are falling away. All around her, the main character watches in pain and confusion as her world changes, falls apart, reconstitutes itself and falls away, again and again. The transcendent thread of continuity is The Word, the beautiful calligraphy of language; time passes, the world changes, The Word remains. In The Word the woman finds her definition, her hope and...even her revenge. This incredible film is a celebration of the Magic and Salvation of Language, one woman's amazing strength, and the Immortality of The Written Word.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired, but see the Euro-version!
Review: Greenaway's The Pillow Book is quite brilliantly done, but ONLY if you see it in its uncut form! I was lucky enough to see the version released in Europe, as opposed to the US version shown in theatres...They are two different movies. The editing makes the difference. The montage sequences are more clear in the uncut version, and the erotic feeling stays intact. Sei Shonagon has inspired many people lately in the arts, and for good reasons. The 8th century noblewoman led a full life in her court: observing art, literature and life. Her musings in the form of lists reflect a Heian Japan which contrasts with a modern day hustle-bustle of Asia. Vivian Wu's character is not only beautiful, but intelligent, too. She is concerned with art, aesthetics, and literature. I think that she mirrors Sei Shonagon in many ways, and ever so sensitively. It is worth seeing many times; you will always see something new or different!
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