The Girl in the Café (2005) (TV)

Director:

David Yates

Writer:

Richard Curtis (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Civil Servant | Poverty | G8 Summit | G 8 | Rotating Camera

Awards:

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

Cast

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
Martin McDougall	...	American Senior Advisor
Corin Redgrave	...	Prime Minister
Wolf Kahler	...	Herr Gerhardt
Madeleine Potter	...	Secretary of the Treasury
Alysha Westlake	...	G8 Delegate
Simon Wilson	...	Journalist
Fran Purcell	...	Secretary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Max Bollinger	...	G8 reporter (uncredited)
Darri Ingolfsson	...	Icelandic waiter (uncredited)
Peter Rnic	...	Russian Finance Minister (uncredited)

Directed by
David Yates

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Curtis		screenplay

Produced by
Paul Abbott	....	executive producer: Tightrope Pictures
Hilary Bevan Jones	....	producer
Richard Curtis	....	executive producer
Julie Gardner	....	executive producer: BBC
Chris Thompson	....	line producer
Robert Velo	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Nicholas Hooper

Cinematography by
Chris Seager		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mark Day

Casting by
Fiona Weir

Production Design by
Candida Otton

Art Direction by
Andrea Coathupe

Costume Design by
Jacky Levy

Makeup Department
Faye De Bremaeker	....	makeup supervisor (as Fay de Bremaeker)
Anne Oldham	....	hair designer (as Anne 'Nosh' Oldham)
Anne Oldham	....	makeup designer (as Anne 'Nosh' Oldham)

Production Management
Ted Ladlow	....	unit manager
Heidi Mount	....	post-production supervisor
Petur Sigurdsson	....	production manager: Iceland

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Caroline Chapman	....	third assistant director
Paul Frift	....	first assistant director
Adam Jenkins	....	crowd third assistant director
Paula Turnbull	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sigurbjörn Búi Baldvinsson	....	art department production assistant
Kevin Biggs	....	painter
Nick Bowen	....	painter
David Broadfoot	....	stand-by rigger (as Dave Broadfoot)
Ulrika Celsing	....	art department assistant
Chris Cull	....	property master
Steve DeJulius	....	stagehand
Gill Farr	....	production buyer
Stuart Haste	....	dressing props
Ben Johnson	....	dressing prop daily
Victoria Layson	....	graphics
Rob MacPherson	....	stand-by props
Adrian Platt	....	dressing props
Jason Reilly	....	construction manager
Lee Reilly	....	stand-by carpenter
Simon Riley	....	stand-by props
Sarah Stuart	....	stand-by art director
Bradley Wilcox	....	stagehand
Frazer Williamson	....	carpenter
Mark Williamson	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Pat Boxshall	....	dialogue editor
Stuart Hilliker	....	dubbing mixer
Jeremy Lishman	....	boom operator
Jamie McPhee	....	sound effects editor
Simon Okin	....	sound mixer
Adrienne Taylor	....	sound assistant
Joanne Dunphy	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Davis III	....	special effects senior technician
Hugh Goodbody	....	special effects technician
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Paul Beard	....	visual effects line producer
Tamsin Edwards	....	visual effects producer
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Isaac Layish	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Anthony	....	best boy
Joss Barratt	....	still photographer
Ray Bateman	....	electrician
Jon Beacham	....	focus puller
David Broadfoot	....	stand-by rigger (as Dave Broadfoot)
Dick Conway	....	electrician
Arnar Einarsson	....	local grip
Steve Ellingworth	....	camera grip
Jess Foster	....	rigger
Jeremy Hiles	....	camera operator
Stuart King	....	gaffer
Joseph Mastrangelo	....	assistant camera
Tom McFarling	....	clapper loader
Gary Parnham	....	electrician
Ingvar Stefánsson	....	electrician
Paul Worley	....	second grip
Elli Cassata	....	director of photography: second unit, Iceland (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Heather Howell	....	assistant costume designer
Pookie Russell	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Chris Beeton	....	colorist
Justin Eely	....	on-line editor
Emily Grant	....	assistant editor
Ulrike Münch	....	assistant editor

Music Department
P.J. Bloom	....	music supervisor

Other crew
David Blank	....	assistant accountant
Victoria Brooks	....	publicist: pictures
Adam Browne	....	location manager
Kate Cobbold	....	production accountant
Joey Coughlin	....	floor runner
Tim Elliott	....	floor runner
Racquel Findlay	....	production secretary
Alice Freedman	....	production runner
Emma Freud	....	script editor
Deborah Goodman	....	unit publicist
Ása Björg Ingimarsdóttir	....	production assistant
Llinos Wyn Jones	....	continuity
Claire Kerrison	....	production coordinator
Dan McCulloch	....	production runner
Catriona McKenzie	....	development executive
Julie Scott	....	production executive: BBC
Elín Sigurðardóttir	....	runner/assistant

Production Companies

• BBC Wales
• Tightrope Pictures (in association with)
• HBO Films (in association with)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2005) (UK) (TV)
• HBO Films (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP) (2005) (Portugal) (TV)
• WoWow (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2005) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by
• ARRI Media  camera equipment provided by
• Boom  sound post-production
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• ITN Archive/Reuters  footage
• Pegasus Pictures  production services provided by
• Pepper Post Production  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:14A | UK:15 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

BBC Wales

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

Lawrence:We get into the habit of compromising and therefore we are always compromised.

Movie Connections:

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

Very nice understated movie

This movie premiered on dutch television tonight (I think it also premiered on the BBC and HBO, nicely in time for the next G8 meeting). Without giving anything away with regard to the plot, this is a very nice movie that combines a personal love story with ideals and politics. Bill Nighy is absolutely fabulous in the lead, and it is his performance that carries this film, although it has to be said that Kelly Macdonald also more than holds her own.

Even though the material is pretty contemporary, and one'd be tempted to think it might not age well because of that, I think the story is universal enough to stand up to the test of time. Recommended for anyone that likes their movies slow, touching and real.