The Girl in the Café (TV 2005)

Lawrence, an aging, lonely civil servant falls for Gina, an enigmatic young woman. When he takes her to the G8 Summit in Reykjavik, however, their bond is tested by Lawrence's professional obligations.

Director:

David Yates

Writer:

Richard Curtis (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Nighy, Kelly Macdonald, Meneka Das

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Nighy	...	Lawrence
Kelly Macdonald	...	Gina
Meneka Das	...	Sunita
Anton Lesser	...	George
Paul Ritter	...	Robert
Ken Stott	...	Chancellor
Federico Zanni	...	Italian Waiter
Penny Downie	...	Ruth
Damon Younger	...	Hotel Receptionist
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir	...	Assistant Receptionist
Marit Velle Kile	...	Waitress (as Marit Kile)
Philippe De Grossouvre	...	French Delegate
Louisa Bojesen	...	CNBC Newscaster
Christian Rubeck	...	German Senior Advisor (as Christian Pedersen)
Toshie Ogura	...	Japanese Delegate

Storyline

A May-December comedy becomes a political drama. Lawrence, a spindly, self-effacing civil servant, is a senior researcher for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, preparing for a G-8 summit that will determine the scope of the world's effort to reduce extreme poverty. In a crowded café, he chats awkwardly with Gina, a young Scot with time on her hands. They share a couple of meals, and he invites her to accompany him to the summit in Reykjavík. Once there, as romance blooms, Gina's past, Lawrence's work and proclivity to compromise, and the presence of ministers and presidents spur her to act.

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Plot Keywords:

civil servant | poverty | g8 summit | g 8 | rotating camera | 

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Taglines:

Love can't change what's wrong in the world. But it's a start.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [uk] HBO [us]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

25 June 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flickan i kaféet

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Wales, Tightrope Pictures, HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Lawrence checks into the hotel in Reykjavik he is told by the clerk that he is in room 5021. However later when he and Gina are walking down the hotel hallway to the room they go to 5121.

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Quotes

Ruth: Ah, three hours next to the dullest man in Canada... and that's a pretty competitive category.

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Crazy Credits

During the credits, the sound of a finger snapping every 3 seconds is heard. Each snap represents a death in the world due to extreme poverty.

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Connections

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006)

User Reviews

Realistic. Touching. Unmissable.

Written to coincide with the Africa Lives series on the BBC and also the current Make Poverty History campaign, 'The Girl in the Cafe' is a superlative TV drama that makes its political points without resorting to grandstanding or heavy-handedness.

Played to absolute perfection by Bill Nighy and especially Kelly MacDonald, and written by Richard Curtis with his usual wry wit, this drama places a socially aware Everywoman in the same room as the world's most powerful politicians at a fictional G8 Summit in Reykjavik.

The blossoming romance of the two leads and the politics of the summit develop in perfect tandem, neither allowed to undermine the other. It is to Curtis's credit that he does not seek to provide an easy way out for any of the characters, nor does he wrap everything up in a neat bow at the climax.

This is one of the most accomplished TV dramas I have ever seen, and I can only hope that it achieves the profile elsewhere that its creative team and, more importantly, its message deserves.