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

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway (writer)

Release Date:

6 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Food | Sex | Allegory | Murder

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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
Paul Russell	...	Pup
Alex Kingston	...	Adele
Ian Sears	...	Phillipe
Willie Ross	...	Roy
Ian Dury	...	Terry Fitch
Diane Langton	...	May Fitch
Prudence Oliver	...	Corelle Fitch
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Geoff
Bob Goody	...	Starkie
Peter Rush	...	Melter
Pauline Mayer	...	Fish Girl
Ben Stoneham	...	Meat Boy
Andy Wilson	...	1st Diner
John Mullis	...	2nd Diner
Flavia Brilli	...	Cabaret Singer
Brenda Edwards	...	Dancer
Sophie Goodchild	...	Dancer
Alex Fraser	...	Waiter
Michael Clark	...	Waiter
Gary Logan	...	Waiter
Tim Geary	...	Waiter
Saffron Rainey	...	Waiter
Hywel Williams-Ellis	...	Waiter
Michael Maguire	...	Waiter
Patric Walters	...	Kitchen Staff
Sue Maund	...	Kitchen Staff
Nick Brozovic	...	Kitchen Staff
Caroline Pagano	...	Kitchen Staff (as Karrie Pagano)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yolande Brener	...	1st Diner's Wife (uncredited)
Irene Palko	...	A Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Greenaway

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Greenaway		writer

Produced by
Pascale Dauman	....	co-producer
Kees Kasander	....	producer
Daniel Toscan du Plantier	....	co-producer
Denis Wigman	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Michael Nyman

Cinematography by
Sacha Vierny

Film Editing by
John Wilson

Casting by
Sharon Howard-Field

Production Design by
Ben van Os
Jan Roelfs

Costume Design by
Jean-Paul Gaultier

Makeup Department
Patrick de Loor	....	assistant makeup artist
Sjoerd Didden	....	makeup effects
Mel Gibson	....	makeup trainee
Sabrina Law	....	makeup trainee
Sara Meerman	....	makeup artist
Anne Neilson	....	makeup trainee
Hanneke van Rhoon	....	assistant makeup artist
Arthur Vriens	....	makeup effects assistant
Sarah Walsh	....	makeup trainee

Production Management
Karin Van Der Werff	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marie Dominique Dhelsing	....	trainee assistant director
Milfid Ellis	....	second assistant director
Mark Harrison	....	third assistant director
Gerrit Martijn	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Bleasdale	....	assistant constructor
Bas Boone	....	assistant constructor
John Bramble	....	assistant set dresser
Paul Connell	....	carpenter
Anthony Costin	....	assistant constructor
Michel De Graaf	....	scenic artist
Wieger De Jong	....	scenic artist
Constance de Vos	....	set dresser
Sophie Fiennes	....	art department production
Steve Hall	....	carpenter
Paul Harrison	....	carpenter
Daniel Harvey	....	assistant constructor
Charley Hayward	....	carpenter
Michael Howells	....	assistant art director
Lidewij Kapteijn	....	constructor
Alexander Kasterine	....	art department assistant
Maarten Piersma	....	constructor
Claudia Valentijn	....	assistant constructor
Wilbert Van Dorp	....	construction manager
Dory van Noort	....	constructor
Ank Van Straalen	....	assistant art director
Coen Verbeek	....	assistant scenic artist
Paul Wilkins	....	propmaker
Nigel Worlidge	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Tom Buchanan	....	boom operator
Michael Danks	....	dubbing editor
Diane Greaves	....	footsteps artist
Nigel Heath	....	sound effects treatment
Garth Marshall	....	production sound
Garth Marshall	....	sound recordist
Maxine Matts	....	assistant dubbing editor
Peter Maxwell	....	dubbing mixer
Ashley McDuffy	....	first assistant sound
Trevor Pyke	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Shirley Shaw	....	dubbing editor
Ted Swanscott	....	footsteps mixer
Aad Wirtz	....	adr mixer
Chris Wyatt	....	dubbing editor
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Cloquet	....	camera operator
Nils Dammers	....	electrician
David A. Foster	....	assistant grip
Max Harrison	....	clapper loader
Nico Komen	....	best boy
Piotr Kukla	....	electrician
Martin McCullough	....	chief grip
Chris Renson	....	focus puller
Andy Saunders	....	electrician trainee
Mel Scaffold	....	rigging
Benito Strangio	....	electrician
Reinier van Brummelen	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Karen Lindsay-Stewart	....	casting assistant
Ineke de Vos	....	additional casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carin Donaldson	....	wardrobe assistant
Penelope Gobin	....	wardrobe assistant
Sharon Long	....	wardrobe assistant
Dien van Straalen	....	wardrobe supervisor
Elianne Van Dorp	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Birgit Berger	....	assistant editor
Julian Rodd	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Graham Ashton	....	musician: trombone
Marsten Bailey	....	assistant music engineer
Alexander Balanescu	....	musician: violin
Jonathan Carney	....	musician: violin/viola
David Cunningham	....	music producer
Michael J. Dutton	....	music engineer
Andrew Findon	....	musician: tenor, baritone sax, flute trumpet
David Fuest	....	musician: clarinet, bass clarinet soprano/alto
Dillon Gallagher	....	assistant music engineer
Will Gregory	....	musician: piano
James Hall	....	musician: drums
John Harle	....	musician: saxophone
Tony Hinnigan	....	musician: cello
Tim Hunt	....	music mixer
Christopher Laurence	....	musician: double bass (as Chris Lawrence)
Sarah Leonard	....	musician: Soprano solo
Michael Nyman	....	musician: piano
Elisabeth Perry	....	musician: violin
John Perry	....	musician: guitar
David Stewart	....	musician: piano

Other crew
Jonathan Agnew	....	jobfit trainee
Felicity Cottrell	....	footsteps artist
Nancy D'Ancona	....	production coordinator
Terry Edwards	....	director: London Voices
Jules Eyres	....	production assistant
Bill Garlic	....	footsteps artist
Rebecca Loak	....	jobfit trainee
Giorgio Locatelli	....	chef prop food
Marie-Christine Malbert	....	publicity: France
Charles Mcdonald	....	publicist: UK
Natasha Ross	....	jobfit trainee
Nick Searle	....	production assistant
Cor Severs	....	production accountant
Nathalie Vierny	....	continuity
Roland Wigman	....	office manager
Nigel Wood	....	production accountant
Susie Woodley	....	catering: on-set
Andi Wright	....	assistant: Kees Kasander
Slawomir Zukowski	....	jobfit trainee
Joss Agnew	....	jobfit trainee (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Allarts Cook
• Erato Films
• Films Inc.

Distributors

• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cineplex Odeon Films (1989) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1990) (Canada) (VHS)
• MCA Home Video (1990) (Canada) (VHS)
• Malo Video (1990) (Canada) (VHS) (dubbed)
• Miramax Films (1990) (USA)
• Movies Select Video (1991) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Palace Pictures (UK)
• RCA / Columbia Pictures Video (1990) (Belgium) (VHS) (rental version)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• Transvídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (????) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Italy) (DVD) (uncut)
• Vidmark Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• London Voices  choir

Also Known As:

Runtime:

124 min | USA:98 min (R-rated version)

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

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:X (original rating) (rating surrendered) | USA:NC-17 | USA:R (edited version) | West Germany:18 | 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+ | Australia:R (sexual references/scenes) | France:X (original rating) | Portugal:M/18 (Qualidade) | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Goldcrest Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Allarts Cook

Trivia:

First of four on-screen collaborations between Michael Gambon and Ciarán Hinds, culminating in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011), in which they play brothers Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore.

Quotes:

Albert:What you've got to realize is that the clever cook puts unlikely things together, like duck and orange, like pineapple and ham. It's called 'artistry'. You know, I am an artist the way I combine my business and my pleasure: Money's my business, eating's my pleasure and Georgie's my pleasure...

Movie Connections:

References Death in the Seine (1989) (TV)

Bon appetit.

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).