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

 -  Drama  -  6 April 1990 (USA)
7.4
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Ratings: 7.4/10 from 18,965 users  
Reviews: 165 user | 67 critic

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

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

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) on IMDb 7.4/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Richard Borst
...
...
...
Michael
...
Mitchel
...
Cory
Gary Olsen ...
Spangler
Ewan Stewart ...
Harris
...
Turpin
...
Mews
Liz Smith ...
Grace
...
Patricia
Janet Henfrey ...
Alice
Arnie Breeveld ...
Eden
Tony Alleff ...
Troy
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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 | food | sex | allegory | murder | See more »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

NC-17 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

6 April 1990 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Spica  »

Box Office

Gross:

$7,724,701 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The lengthy tracking shot from the restaurant to the toilet is supposed to be symbolic of food passing through the intestinal tract. See more »

Quotes

[In a book depository]
Georgina: Are we safe here?
Michael: Does Albert read?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Doogie Howser, M.D.: Nautilus for Naught (1990) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Bon appetit.
6 June 2003 | by (UK) – See all my reviews

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).


20 of 33 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Albert Spica, the most odious film character ever. leucrottabob
More artistic movies like this? panospcm
Why this movie isn't on the top 250 is beyond me... bplex
Out of print? joenonneman
Ludicrous theory (to be taken with a grain of salt) AudemarsPiguet
Great Fan, but having a big frustration... What about you? paulpenet

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