From Peter Greenaway, one of Britains most controversial directors, 8 1/2 Women is a laconic black comedy that examines the age-old phenomenon of male sexual fantasy, its roots and consequences. A rich businessman from Geneva acquires eight and a half pachinko parlors in Kyoto, Japan. They are run by his son who is fascinated by earthquakes. When the fathers beloved wife dies, the son takes him to see Federico Fellinis film 8 1/2 to distract him from his grief and rekindle some interest in the opposite sex. Inspired by Fellinis vision, they bring eight and a half women from Japan and Europe and turn the fathers Geneva mansion into a private harem. Amanda Plummer, Toni Collette, Polly Walker and Vivian Wu (the protagonist of Greenaways previous film The Pillow Book), head the cast of this multi-layered film that failed to reach the degree of critical acclaim of Greenaways previous works. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide