The Pillow Book (1995)

The review finds the film dense but enormously impressive, ultimately calling it awesome and beautiful. It singles out the inventive visual design and the actors’ commitment to Greenaway’s vision for praise.

The critic finds the film extraordinary and visually ravishing, though also over-decorated and emotionally cold. The split-screen motifs are singled out as a wonder to behold.

Maslin finds the film a spellbinding, highly seductive stylistic exercise, though its plot has a banal core. She especially praises its audacious imagery and intricate visual design.

Phipps finds the film surprisingly humane and satisfying, despite its cerebral detachment. He singles out its inventive visuals, which sometimes become sensual rather than merely dazzling.

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The accessible page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is unavailable. The metadata describes Nagiko’s birthday rituals without revealing what the critic praises or criticizes.

Jewett finds the film an opaque, muddled experience despite its sensual qualities. She criticizes its skin-as-paper imagery for wearing thin and its failure to develop characters or illuminate Japanese rites.

Turan finds the film visually arresting but ultimately cold, pretentious, and dull. He praises the imagery illustrating the classical text’s lists, while faulting Greenaway’s weak drama and direction of the actors.