The Pillow Book

Freudian symbolism, literary word games, and Ewan McGregor's penis are all prominently featured in British visual master Peter Greenaway's latest screen opus. Nagiko Kiohara (Vivian Wu) is a psychosexually "interesting" (I do not want to offend those who regularly mix calligraphy and sex) Japanese woman whose father, a calligrapher, used to write a traditional birthday greeting on her face and neck. So it's completely understandable that, as an adult, Nagiko's first marriage fails when her new husband not only scoffs at her love of literature, but he refuses to take pen and ink to her proffered flesh paper and "treat her like the page of a book." Fortunately, there are more open-minded fish in the sexual gaming sea, and after hooking up with a British translator (Trainspotting's Ewan McGregor) who works for the same publisher that blackmailed and humiliated her father, Nagiko discovers a newfound sexual assuredness ("I'm going to be the pen, not just the paper") and hatches a plan for revenge. Although it may sound silly (and often is), The Pillow Book--whose plot outline I have barely described in broad brush strokes--has more on its plate than kinky sex. In an almost touching way, Greenaway--normally, a rather cold director--explores the (jargon alert!) dichotomy between our warring internal demons seeking satisfaction in the delights of the flesh (sex) and the spirit (the humanities). Unfortunately, for all its interesting subtext, and metaphorical musings in the guise of character, we're just not sold on the literal level (and while there's nothing wrong with a multi-layered work, if the ground floor isn't accessible you can forget about the elevator). Ironically, Greenaway's technical virtuosity (which worked so well in films like A Zed and Two Noughts and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover) comes across more like his The Inferno or Prospero's Books here: visual clutter. Still, while I cannot wholeheartedly recommend his latest, I do still consider Greenaway to be one of the most provocative directors we have, and this is therefore a strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—June 16, 2015—Film Movement, 127 min., in English, Cantonese, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin & French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.95, Blu-ray: $34.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1996's The Pillow Book features a fine transfer and an LPCM monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by director Peter Greenaway, and a new essay by film critic Nicolas Rapold. Bottom line: this visually striking lesser Greenaway film shines on Blu-ray.]