IMDb > The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   12,184 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Peter Greenaway (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 April 1990 (USA) more
Genre:
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
5 wins & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
A beautifully filmed, ugly and disturbing film. more (151 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Le cuisinier, le voleur, sa femme et son amant (France)
Spica
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
more
Runtime:
124 min | USA:98 min (R-rated version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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) | France:X (original rating) | USA: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
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The four title characters are named for the actors writer-director Peter Greenaway originally wanted to play them. Richard (The Cook) is for Richard Bohringer, the only one of Greenaway's original choices retained in the final film. Albert (The Thief) is named after Albert Finney, while Georgina (His Wife) is for Georgina Hale. Michael (The Lover) is named, interestingly enough, for Michael Gambon, whom Greenaway eventually re-cast as Albert. more
Quotes:
Georgina: Yes! He's a man. He's Jewish and he's from Ethiopia!
Albert: What?
Georgina: His mother is a Roman Catholic, he's been imprisoned in South Africa, he's as black as the ace of spades and he probably drinks his own pee!
more
Movie Connections:
References Death in the Seine (1988) (TV) more

FAQ

What is the film 'about'?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
What special features are on the DVD?
more
39 out of 55 people found the following comment useful.
A beautifully filmed, ugly and disturbing film., 27 June 2004
Author: Tim from Portland, Oregon USA

I saw this almost fifteen years ago and I still have crystal clear mental images of some of the scenes. The chef at his table in the kitchen, planning his menu: stunning! Put it in a frame, hang it on the wall. In the restaurant scenes, you feel like you're there at the table as the camera pans, without cuts, from one person to another. Our heroes locked in the truck full of rotting meat: horrible, disgusting, perfect. It's a classic purification ritual and it's literally putrid. Greenaway is a genius. My only criticism is a minor one. There is a full frontal nude scene of the wife and her lover, where he is clearly more "relaxed" than he should have been at that moment. I'm a bit disappointed in Greenaway for not showing him at "attention", as he would have been in real life. But then, I guess he would have been accused of making porn. Whatever. This film is not for everyone. My wife didn't see it. I'm sure she would have hated it if she had. For that matter, I can't actually say I liked it, although I consider it a masterwork. But I'm glad I saw it. I'll probably see it again, but not until I can see it on HDTV. Plain old DVD couldn't possibly do it justice. An amazing movie.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (151 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Why this movie isn't on the top 250 is beyond me... bplex
Great Fan, but having a big frustration... What about you? paulpenet
The boy singer and his music bernie-81
Ludicrous theory (to be taken with a grain of salt) AudemarsPiguet
More artistic movies like this? panospcm
Out of print? joenonneman
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
C'est arrivé près de chez vous The Pillow Book 37°2 le matin If.... Ai no corrida
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Comedy section IMDb France section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.