The Girl in the Café (2005) (TV)

Director:

David Yates

Writer:

Richard Curtis (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love can't change what's wrong in the world. But it's a start.

Plot:

Lawrence, an aging, lonely civil servant falls for Gina, an enigmatic young woman. When he takes her to the G8 Summit in Reykjavik, however, their bond is tested by Lawrence's professional obligations.

Plot Keywords:

Civil Servant | G 8 | Poverty | G8 Summit | International Organization

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Bill Nighy	...	Lawrence
Kelly Macdonald	...	Gina
Meneka Das	...	Sunita
Anton Lesser	...	George
Paul Ritter	...	Robert
Ken Stott	...	Chancellor
Federico Zanni	...	Italian Waiter
Penny Downie	...	Ruth
Damon Younger	...	Hotel Receptionist
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir	...	Assistant Receptionist
Marit Velle Kile	...	Waitress (as Marit Kile)
Philippe De Grossouvre	...	French Delegate
Louisa Bojesen	...	CNBC Newscaster
Christian Rubeck	...	German Senior Advisor (as Christian Pedersen)
Toshie Ogura	...	Japanese Delegate

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A | UK:15

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

BBC Wales

Goofs:

Factual errors: G8 Summits are only held in the G8 nations - Canada, the US, Japan, Russia, Germany, Italy, France and Britain. A summit would not be meeting in Iceland.

Quotes:

Prime Minister: [making a toast on the eve of the G8 summit] Let me start with the big thing. Five years' ago the world made a series of the most magnificent promises and we have determined to use this conference seriously to indent the most extreme curses of poverty in the world today. We shall not let them out of our sights even if we may not yet have the power to fullfil them all.
Gina: [quietly] That's not true. That's not true.
Prime Minister: [chortling] I'm sorry madam, but heckling isn't really a tradition at these gatherings.
Gina: What are the traditions, then? Well crafted compromise and just sort of ignoring the poor?
Prime Minister: Perhaps we talk about this later?
Gina: I doubt it. I imagine I'll be thrown out later so it's probably got to be now. I don't know how much the rest of you ladies know about what's going on but my friend here tells me that while we are eating a hundred million children are nearly starving. There's just millions of kids who'd kill for the amount of food that fat old me left on the side of my plate, children who are then so weak they'll die if a mosquito bites them. And so they do die. One every three seconds.
[snaps fingers]
Gina: There they go.
[pauses, snap fingers again]
Gina: And another one. Anyone who has kids knows that every mother and father in Africa must love their children as much as they do, and to watch your kids die, to watch them die and then to die yourself in trying to protect them, that's not right. And tomorrow eight of the men sitting 'round this table actually have the ability to sort this out by making a few great decisions...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV)

A Gem!!!

It is rare indeed to experience a film that successfully blends comedy with a strong social message. "The Girl in the Café" is just such a film!

The first half of the firm is primarily quirky romantic comedy as a pencil-pushing, workaholic diplomat has a chance meeting with a young woman, and the couple share a table in a crowded café. The relationship of Lawrence (Bill Nighy) and Gina (Kelly Macdonald) then proceeds in fits and starts...mainly in fits!

There is obviously an attraction between the two characters. But the main problem is the diffidence of Lawrence, whose character redefines the concept of "British reserve." Based upon the shy and reluctant deportment of Lawrence, it is difficult to see how Great Britain was ever able to "people" its great Empire! One of the offbeat lines shared by Lawrence and Gina in a restaurant is: "I scrubbed up for you, tonight." The words "nice," "handsome," "beautiful," or even "You look good, tonight" are not available to characters so maladroit in their social graces.

The second half of the film moves into the area of politics when Lawrence invites Gina to the international G8 Summit meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland. It is there that Gina has some surprises for Lawrence and for the politicians at the conference. As brilliantly played by Kelly Macdonald, Gina delivers passionate and impromptu pleas to address the problems of world hunger, poverty, and AIDS. Gina's speeches are some of the most memorable moments in the film.

While the romantic relationship between Lawrence and Gina continues to unfold, it is the social and political side of the story that dominates the final portion of the film. Here, there is no shilly-shallying around on the part of Gina, as she boldly plants the seeds for social action. Ultimately, a question that emerges is whether or not an unassuming individual like Gina can single-handedly make a difference in her world, and the answer delivered by this gem of a film is a resounding "Yes."