The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway (writer)

Release Date:

6 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Lust...Murder...Dessert. Bon Appetit!

Plot:

The wife of an oafish restaurant owner becomes bored with her husband and considers an affair with a regular patron.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Food | Allegory | Sex | Cannibalism

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Richard Bohringer	...	Richard Borst
Michael Gambon	...	Albert Spica
Helen Mirren	...	Georgina Spica
Alan Howard	...	Michael
Tim Roth	...	Mitchel
Ciarán Hinds	...	Cory
Gary Olsen	...	Spangler
Ewan Stewart	...	Harris
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Turpin
Ron Cook	...	Mews
Liz Smith	...	Grace
Emer Gillespie	...	Patricia
Janet Henfrey	...	Alice
Arnie Breeveld	...	Eden
Tony Alleff	...	Troy

Also Known As:

Le cuisinier, le voleur, sa femme et son amant (France)
Spica
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

Runtime:

124 min | USA:98 min (R-rated version)

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Belgium:KNT (original rating) | India:A | Iran:18+ | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1990) | Australia:R (sexual references/scenes) | USA:X (original rating) | France:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 (heavily cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 | USA:R (video rating) (cut) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Goldcrest Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Allarts Cook

Trivia:

The film Michael refers to Georgina when talking about he once saw a film where none of the characters spoke, and when one did, he lost interest is the movie Paris, Texas (1984) by Wim Wenders.

Quotes:

Albert: What you've got to realize is that the clever cook puts unlikely things together, like duck and orange, like pineapple and ham. It's called 'artistry'. You know, I am an artist the way I combine my business and my pleasure: Money's my business, eating's my pleasure and Georgie's my pleasure...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: The Butler, the Husband, the Wife and Her Mother (#1.5)" (1993)

Bon appetit.

Writer/Director Peter Greenaway teams up again with cinematographer Sacha Vierny and composer Michael Nyman, delivering a banquet of sound and colour, light and dark. And dark and dark. A simple if disturbing morality tale sits atop a canvas of grotesque characters, carefully-composed frames and revolting details. The restaurant setting forces analogues with a meal, and it's easy to oblige - a rather formal affair, bordering on pretentious, with its influences conspicuous - sumptuous, exotic, intoxicating, memorable, if perhaps too rich and over-long, and it plays havoc with the digestion.

As acquired a taste as any of Greenaway's work, and by no means an unqualified triumph. This film does not deliver on all its promises. But at least they were big promises. Try a piece - if you don't like it, you can always go back to your burgers and fries.

Nine out of ten.

Notes:

1. Michael Gambon's "Albert Spica" (the Thief of the title) surely ranks as one of cinema's all-time nastiest villains. Sorry Darth - no cigar.

2. The title of this film has become a template for headlines in British newspapers, e.g. "The A, the B, his C and her D". Don't ask me why.

3. "Cook/Thief" is one of four similar and inter-related films that Greenaway made during the 1980s, the others being "The Belly of an Architect", "A Zed and Two Noughts" and "Drowning by Numbers". While "Cook/Thief" stole all the headlines with its snazzy visuals and outrageous grotesquery - not to mention various collisions with the censors - For me, "Drowning" is the best of the bunch. And somewhat easier on the eye (and stomach).