I disliked the first two Greenway films I've watched "the belly of an architecht" and "the cook, the thief, his wife and her lover". They were both well executed and one can't deny that they were both good films in terms of cinematic standards. What I didn't like was the distance that I've felt from the actors. His wide shots that he used extensively in both of these films gave me a feeling of detachment from the charachters and events likewise. Of course there were great scenes and visually both films were stunning. The wide shots though boring, were like paitings with great detail.
This one, the pillow book, was more intimate than the others. He didn't use as many wide shots and the setting was just beautiful. Being a lover of everything japanese I fell in love with both the setting, especially in the black and white parts and the soundtracks. The calligraphy on the body was strange but beautiful. The film as a whole was very sensual; one could see, feel, touch and smell.
I liked the colors and lighting of the film, as a whole it was very visually pleasing.
The only downside to the film was the was the last books were hurriedly done, which lost me there. The film, lacking in plot but compensating that in the visual and sensual experience lost that at the end. The last books were not in harmony with the whole movie in pace or general feeling. The very last scene in her 28th birthday, however, was great and ended the film amazingly and the list that she wrote shows the change that the protagonist has gone through.