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

NC_17 124 min  -  Drama  -   6 April 1990 (USA)
7.4
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Ratings: 7.4/10 from 16,443 users  
Reviews: 160 user | 68 critic

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

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway

Stars:

Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon and Helen Mirren
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13 photos | 1 news article | full cast and crew »

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6 March 2009 12:30 AM, PST | The Hollywood Interview
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Bohringer ...
Richard Borst
Michael Gambon ...
Helen Mirren ...
Alan Howard Alan Howard ...
Michael
Tim Roth ...
Mitchel
Ciarán Hinds ...
Cory
Gary Olsen Gary Olsen ...
Spangler
Ewan Stewart Ewan Stewart ...
Harris
Roger Ashton-Griffiths ...
Turpin
Ron Cook Ron Cook ...
Mews
Liz Smith Liz Smith ...
Grace
Emer Gillespie ...
Patricia
Janet Henfrey Janet Henfrey ...
Alice
Arnie Breeveld Arnie Breeveld ...
Eden
Tony Alleff Tony Alleff ...
Troy
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

The wife of a barbaric crime boss engages in a secretive romance with a gentle bookseller between meals at her husband's restaurant. Food, colour coding, sex, murder, torture and cannibalism are the exotic fare in this beautifully filmed but brutally uncompromising modern fable which has been interpreted as an allegory for Thatcherism. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Sex | Cannibalism | Food | Gangster  | See more »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Le cuisinier, le voleur, sa femme et son amant See more »

Filming Locations:

Goldcrest Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$7,724,701 (USA)
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Company Credits

Production Co:

Allarts Cook, Elsevira, Erato Films See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | USA: (R-rated version)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The car that Albert Spica drives is listed in the credits as a Valentine Lindsay AT V12. It is in fact a modified early-'70s Dodge Dart Swinger. Valentine Lindsay is the name of a British car enthusiast and racer who works with the V12 Team of Harrier Racing, and most likely loaned the car to the production. See more »

Quotes

Albert: I think those Ethiopians enjoy starving. Keeps them thin and graceful.
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Connections

Referenced in "Robot Chicken: The Core, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (#5.15)" (2011) See more »