Review of The Pillow Book (1995) by Mike N — 30 Oct 2007

This is one of the most pretentious and horrible movies I've ever seen in my life. It comes from that time when Ewan McGregor felt inclined to show his ass in every movie he made, though that's not why the movie sucks.

Basically, this is very experimental and convoluted, and it certainly requires many viewings in order to get at all the subtleties inside - but, as a viewer, I never once felt compelled to understand the different meanings. It seemed completely pointless to me. I couldn't see Nagiko (Vivian Wu in a brave performance wasted on such a shitty film) as anything other than a woman with a really weird need for people writing characters on her body. I realize it's rooted in her childhood, and that this movie is "artistic" (big fucking deal) and not at all rooted in normal reality, but it's still totally uncompelling.

I could not take this film seriously, because of the overbearing pretension, the confusing-for-the-sake-of-it screenplay, and the character of the publisher. Did we really NEED the subtitles, footnotes, and different screens everywhere? No - it complicates and phonies up the movie. There may be many meanings hidden within that cast light upon the film's working, but I'd need to care first. All it does is distract from the (mostly okay) performances, although it must be said that, as a whole, this movie was not especially well-acted.

The screenplay is completely obfuscating, ostentatious, and ultimately ridiculous. I realize it's meant to be erotic, bewildering, scary, and passionate. However, what it's meant to be isn't necessarily what it is - the only feeling of passion I could discern within the movie was director and writer Peter Greenaway's overwhelming love for himself.

Finally, the character of the publisher is so repulsive, ill-formed and insane that it really asks a lot of the audience to take him as is. It is really ludicrous.

This is a terrible, hilariously self-impressed movie, and I cannot understand why anyone would think it was a good film. (There are several people I know and respect who LOVE this movie, too, so I really am baffled.).