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The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989)
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Synopsis: Master director Greenaway (THE PILLOW BOOK) outdoes himself with this grisly fairy tale. The thief, Albert Spica, (Gambon) is a gangster, repugnant and boorish, who holds court at the same table in his opulent restaurant every night surrounded by his lackeys (Tim Roth and the late Ian Dury... Master director Greenaway (THE PILLOW BOOK) outdoes himself with this grisly fairy tale. The thief, Albert Spica, (Gambon) is a gangster, repugnant and boorish, who holds court at the same table in his opulent restaurant every night surrounded by his lackeys (Tim Roth and the late Ian Dury included). When his cultured and repressed wife Georgina (Mirren) becomes magnetically attracted to a solitary diner in the restaurant, the two begin a secret affair under the nose of her dangerous husband. With the help of the restaurant's chef, the time the lovers share is kept secret from the vicious Albert...for a while. Despite the breathtaking production design and artful camera work, this violent, disturbing and very darkly comic work is not for everyone. Those with the stomach for it, however, will reap generous rewards. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Richard Bohringer, Alan Howard, Tim Roth
Screenwriter: Peter Greenaway
Composer: Michael Nyman
Producer: Kees Kasander
DVD Info
Release:
Mar 2, 2003
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
- Single Side - Dual Layer
Audio:
- Dolby Surround - English
Additional Release Material:
- Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
Reviews
Highly stylized and elegant Jacobean revenge tale over adultery and jealousy that rolls against the taste buds like a mouth full of hot pepper.
The Cook, the Thief. His Wife and Her Lover is a dark and grim morality play about our insatiable appetite for cruelty and power.
Singular and unforgettable, but also grotesque and hyper-inflated; hard to pass up, but harder to sit through.


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