In 8 1/2 WOMEN, the dark side of ecstasy unfolds against the backdrop of Japan's frenzied pachinko parlors and the Swiss countryside. After the death of his wife, a wealthy businessman questions his devotion to his passive spouse and denial of sensual experimentation for their many years of marriage. When his son returns to the family's Swiss chateau from Japan where he manages his father's pachinko parlors, he brings his father to see Federico Fellini's masterpiece, 8 1/2. The sight of so many magnificent women inspires them to turn their Swiss mansion into a chateau of sexual pleasure. But soon their wild sexual fantasies begin to unravel, and the two men discover that when fantasy becomes reality, the balance of power can shift. When it does, those seemingly in control don't always come out on top.