Rating: 
Summary: Visually Impactful
Review: True to his billing, Peter Greenaway manages images masterfully in The Pillowbook -- so much so that were it not for its cleverness one might say the the dialogue is superfluous. Fans of Greenaway will of course embrace Pillowbook for its brilliance, as will those encountering him for the first time. A visual feast, rich and sensual, poignant, exotic, and touched with taboo. Quite a unique landscape, well acted, efficient, and captivating.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting and unique film
Review: After reading the previous review I had to post a review of this movie so that people will not be mislead. Although I am quite willing to admit my ignorance of Asian art, whether Chinese, Japanese or other, I think this movie can be enjoyed on its own terms. Although the Pillowbook was confusing and disjointed to me at times, it was also intriguing and beautiful. For the previous reviewer to claim that all the characters acted in a monotone is simply untrue. Vivian Wu gave a subtle, nuanced and deeply emotional performance, and Ewan McGregor was wonderful as Jerome. Far from acting in a monotone, McGregor played Jerome with an infectious sense of fun during the early stages of his and Nagiko's relationship. Later, when Nagiko rejects him, his agony is vividly expressed and quite palpable. Additionally, to reduce this subtle and intense movie to "a fetish for naked Asian men" is patently unfair. There is nudity in the film, (although primarily of Wu and McGregor, neither of whom is an Asian man), but it is very tastefully done and relevant to the plot. In conclusion I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys subtle and visually beautiful films. However, if you require lot's of special effects, explosions and action in a film, this is not the movie for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty on the outside
Review: This film was a success as an experience and a failure as a story. Lots of male frontal nudity, which was a refreshing change, though not for Greenaway, the narration was torture and the storyline was not only so farfetched and boring, but insulting and slow. The heroine was boring with only physically redeeming characteristics. The actual presentation of the movie is the only reason to see it. Oh, yeah, and Ewan MacGregor is yummy.
Rating:
Summary: The pillow book movie was a great one!
Review: Ewan Mcgragor is so hot in this movie! If you're as big a fan as I am of him you'll love this movie!
Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious--THAT'S ALL
Review: This movie tries to be something it is not. Obviously anyone who has seen it and "marvels" at it as a pure work of art are only thinking with that which is between their legs. This movie has nothing to do with "Far-Eastern" sensibilities. In fact, it has nothing to do with Sei Shonogan's original pillow book, nor the Japanese genre of pillow book writing (basically artistically written diaries). This movie can not be said to represent any Chinese or Japanese artistic sensibility at all, other than the beautiful calligraphy seen in the movie. Though I do believe that the depictions of calligraphy on skin were quite sublime, this movie is utterly pretentious in any claim to be artistic. From what I gather from previous reviews, I can tell nearly everyone who has seen or left a comment is utterly ignorant of Chinese or Japanese art or literature--UTTERLY ignorant. I don't even think most can tell the difference between what is Chinese and what is Japanese--something intrinsic if one were to deal with the world of Northeast Asian art and literature. They're all so ignorant you could convince them that the sun revolved around the earth. This movie is one of Vivian Wu's worst. She doesn't even get a chance to act, showing only one emotion throughout the entire film. She speaks in a monotone drab voice throughout the entire film. The other characters also show no other side to themselves other than one blank expression. There is no character development at all. NONE. Perhaps this is meant to be, but it plainly does not work. This film has nothing to do with love (which one reviewer insists so). Revenge more fits the bill, but definitely not love. You can't sense any development of love at all, though perhaps a slight longing, but that too is not developed. What this movie has is many naked Asian men, the "artistic" "masterful" element I believe nearly every positive commenter is actually raving about. If you have a fetish about naked Asian men, this is a good movie for you. If not, you will still be enamored by the beauty of this film, yet bored by its utter lack of content--or attempt at content.
Rating:
Summary: One of Greenaways best
Review: Dazzling visually, laden with metaphor, and every bit up to Greenaway's usual high standards, yet without the over-the-top extremes nudity, gore, and/or general trangressiveness that made some of his earlier films off-putting to the uninitiated. A highly recommended first film for the Greenaway-curious.
Rating:
Summary: To the Critics
Review: My review addresses some of the negative reviews left by others who have seen this movie. The film has been denounced as pretentious, I would contend that it maintains a distanced air which is effective in setting a mood. The film is visually stunning and seems to be making several statements about love, art and the creation of both i.e., the relation of detached artist to subject or detached subject of artist is vicerally highlighted through the atmosphere of distance. Secondly, the film was pronounced "boring". In answer I say, the film is quite complicated and combines foreign and contrasting elements of European, Chinese and Japanese cultures, it is multi-faceted, multi-layered and enhanced by technologically inspired visual imagery. There is much to appreciate in the film, as there is much not to appreciate if one chooses to do so. Boring is a subjective term. A film that centers on the millennial artistic heritage of Chinese calligraphy may not titillate the masses as intensely as the comedic antics of modern day buffoons. Simply stated, the movie is not pandering to the lowest common denominator, nor is it an exercise in cultural elitism, it is a pure expression of an artist's vision -- it is beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: the pillow book
Review: i didn't care much for the movie. i just wanted to see ewan mcgregor's weiner. it was worth every cent i paid for.
Rating:
Summary: Very creative & erotic film
Review: It is very peculiar film. Most of Greenaway's works are like this, it's more special. I think, it was a adventure to express the emotion of Eastern with a language as a Western director. This film represented about sex, love, life and death from the pillow book, a traditional Japanese book for woman. Sometimes, I couldn't understand. Anyway, It's a fact that is very creative. We can feel the beauty of a character from this film, especially Chinese character. Greenaway' works give a new feeling every time, but they have a common feature always. As he majored in painting at the university, the composition of a screen is very fine.
Rating:
Summary: A great disappointment
Review: Check out "Iron & Silk" to see what Vivian Wu can do when she is given an opportunity to act. Here she is saddled with a superficial script and Greenaway's chaotic story-telling. There are some striking visual images and some inventive filmic presentations, but the movie feels tediously pretentious because the characters have no depth.
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