The Pillow Book - Blog Posts
Which Ewan character should I make a headcanon alphabet for next? I want to write and I'm not feeling inspired.
The Ewan McGregor Screentime Percentage (EMSP) List
I thought it'd be helpful to make a list for the movies that I've reviewed so far. I will update it as new reviews are posted. Unfortunately, I'm not yet able to add links to direct you to the full review. The letters EMSP stand for " Ewan McGregor Screentime Percentage" which is how long he spends on screen in a given movie. It is ordered from his highest screentime percentage to lowest. I hope this helps those looking for a new Ewan movie to watch!
Young Adam (2003): 70% (69 / 1 hr. 38 min.)
2. Rogue Trader (1999): 69% (65 / 1 hr. 34 min.)
3. Nora (2000): 56% (60 / 1 hr. 47 min.)
4. Trainspotting (1996): 55% (52 / 1 hr. 34 min.)
5. Nightwatch (1997): 51% (52 / 1 hr. 42 min.)
6. A Life Less Ordinary (1997): 51% (53 / 1 hr. 44 min.)
7. Eye of the Beholder (1999): 47% (48 / 1 hr. 42 min.)
8. Down with Love (2003): 46% (47 / 1 hr. 42 min.)
9. Shallow Grave (1994): 44% (41 / 1 hr. 33 min.)
10. The Serpent's Kiss (1997): 42% (44 / 1 hr. 46 min.)
11. Moulin Rouge! (2001): 40% (51 / 2 hrs. 8 min.)
12. Brassed Off (1996): 24% (26 / 1 hr. 47 min.)
13. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002): 23% (33 / 2 hrs. 22 min)
14. Blue Juice (1995): 22% (22 / 1 hr. 39 min)
15. The Pillow Book (1996): 22% (28 / 2 hrs. 7 min.)
16. Nothing but the Truth (1995): 21% (21 / 1 hr. 41 min.)
17. Velvet Goldmine (1998): 17% (20 / 1 hr. 58 min.)
18. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999): 17% (23 / 2 hrs. 16 min.)
19. Little Voice (1998): 14% (14 / 1 hr. 37 min)
20. Doggin' Around (1995): 11% (10 / 1 hr. 29 min.)
21. Emma (1996): 11% (13 / 2 hrs. 1 min.)
22. Being Human (1994): 2% (2 / 2 hrs. 2 min.)
7. Ewan McGregor Movie Review: The Pillow Book (1996)
Genre: Erotic/Romance
Rating: Un-Rated
Director: Peter Greenaway
Starring: Vivian Wu, Yoshi Oida, Ewan McGregor
Synopsis: "The Pillow Book" is an erotic film about a woman, Nagiko, who has a fetish for men writing on her body. What started as an innocent tradition of her father writing on her for her birthday, evolved into an obsession with finding the perfect calligrapher / lover. Nagiko also aspires to be a writer like her namesake, Sei Shonagon, the author of The Pillow Book. After she is rejected by a book publisher who sexually assaulted her father she instead decides to walk the path of revenge.
Ewan Review: Ewan McGregor plays the character Jerome, a bisexual English translator. He is chosen by Nagiko to help with her revenge unbeknownst to him. He is completely nude several times in the film, has a female and male love interest, and sex scenes with both of them. He has an English accent for the movie and has a couple lines in French and Japanese. Another fun fact: you might notice that he's pretty slender in this role and that's because he was in the process of losing weight for his role in "Trainspotting".
Screentime Percentage: Ewan is on screen for a grand total of 28/127 minutes making his SP 22%.
To Ewan or not to Ewan: Is this movie worth watching for Ewan content alone? Yes! Did I mention the nudity? Is it worth watching in general? I say yes. I know this movie won't be for everyone. It's a weird story, highly erotic, and has slow pacing. Still, I enjoy it and wouldn't dissuade someone from watching.
Where to Watch: "The Pillow Book" is currently available to rent through YouTube.
Movie Warnings: There are some things that happen in the movie that you might want to be aware of before committing to watching it. Nudity nudity and more nudity! Women and men are naked and yes that includes seeing their genitals. There are a LOT of penises in this movie. There's blackmail via sexual assault as well as a suicide scene, skin cutting, blood, and defiling of a dead body.
Conclusion: The Pillow Book" is a beautiful work of art. Though it is a weird story, it's also interesting and captures your attention. Though it's highly erotic, the eroticism adds value to the story and isn't there just for shock. And while the pacing may be slow, it allows the viewer to absorb information and appreciate the visual storytelling. I encourage you to open your mind and give it a chance. Like Nagiko, you just might learn something new about yourself.
