The Pillow Book

This seductive eye candy masquerading as thought-provoking art cinema wears its brain on its sleeve, or -- more correctly -- its bare skin. As a small child, Nagiko Shonagon (Vivian Wu) -- namesake of Sei Shonagon, the author of a 10th-century collection of sensual writings called The Pillow Book -- cherished the birthday ritual devised by her father (Ken Ogata), a writer and skilled calligrapher. He would write a birthday greeting on her upturned face, signing his name to the back of her neck while reciting the story of God's creation of the human race from painted clay. As Nagiko grows older, the act of writing on the body becomes suffused with erotic pote...