Customer Reviews

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover [VHS]

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I went into Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" with blinders on. I had absolutely no idea what to expect as the movie started, none whatsoever. I slightly suspected the director made "art" films due to a faint recollection of a discussion I saw on a bulletin board years ago, but that was all I could remember. Heck, I thought Uma Thurman was in this film for some reason! Obviously, this was my first experience with Greenaway, a director I have since learned is noted for creating disturbing films designed to upset audiences. I'll bet this masterpiece had arty types fleeing for the doors! Boy, I wish I'd seen this in an art house when it came out. I'm used to seeing films dealing with subject matter far worse than this one, but viewers who spend their time watching pictures about relationships and strolls through a park on a sunny day aren't. Yes, Greenaway's film deals with abhorrent themes expressed in undeniably grotesque forms. Yes, the picture has ugly scenes of violence. Yes, relationships of a decidedly revealing nature play a big part in the plot. What did you expect from a NC-17 rated picture? Don't worry-you can handle it. Actually, you'll probably be glad that you sat through it because this is a marvelous movie.

"The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" starts on a particularly memorable note. Big time gangster and thief Albert Spica (Michael Gambon), his wife Georgina (Helen Mirren), and his entourage pull up to the back door of a fancy restaurant run by the fabulous French chef Richard Borst (Richard Bohringer), ready for a night of fine dining and obnoxious behavior. Spica is a notorious brute, a beefy, sadistic thug who enjoys tormenting everyone around him, especially his wife Georgina. Greenaway sets the tone immediately by having a pack of dogs snap and snarl outside the restaurant as Spica presides over the humiliation of an underling. The bad behavior continues inside as Spica and his miscreants throw food, insult the staff and fellow customers, and generally make fools out of themselves. Night after night, Spica and his band of dangerous ruffians return to the restaurant, tormenting Borst and his staff as the restaurant's business drains away. No one, it seems, wants to spend an evening eating next to a guy like Spica.

One gentleman seems relatively unbothered by the ruckus a couple of tables over. Michael (Alan Howard), a scholarly looking librarian who always reads a book while he eats, simply ignores Spica's loud theatrics. When he makes eye contact with the gorgeous Georgina, however, sparks fly. Within minutes the two are in the bathroom madly pawing away at each other. The clandestine affair continues night after night, with both Michael and Georgina continually aware that Albert Spica or one of his goons could discover the tryst at any moment. Eventually, the staff of the restaurant plays a part in helping the two lovebirds meet, allowing them to use the nooks and crannies in the cavernous kitchen and deflecting any suspicions posed by Albert. Georgina uses Michael as a respite from her vicious husband, a chance to escape his obnoxious behaviors if even for a few precious minutes. Spica's wife soon finds the strength to flee from Albert, moving in with Michael in his library. The thuggish Albert flies into a rage over his wife's disappearance. It's not that he cares for her in any way (he definitely doesn't), but his massive ego cannot stand the idea of her being with another man. Spica tracks down Michael and has him murdered by stuffing pages from a book about the French Revolution down his throat. The conclusion to the film is one of the most memorable in recent film history.

After I watched Greenaway's film, I looked a few things up. Some bright film critics in England see this picture as a critique of the Thatcher years, with Spica standing in for the right wing, Georgina as England, and her lover as the hapless political left. Maybe, but I didn't see any of that in the film. I spent too much time chuckling over the coarse behavior of Spica and his goons-one played by Tim Roth in an early role, by the way-and enjoying the stunning Helen Mirren. She's so beautiful here that your heart aches over the indignities she suffers at the hands of Albert. She's also not afraid to do some daring scenes, a lesson she probably learned from her role in the Tinto Brass and Bob Guccione classic "Caligula," made some ten years before this film. If you still need to a reason to watch the movie, if the political symbolism and charged situations leave you cold, check out the great musical score by Michael Nyman and the sumptuous atmosphere of the restaurant. The colors and décor of the dining establishment take your breath away, and Greenaway further uses color by having people's outfits change hue as they walk from room to room. What does it all mean? Who knows, but it's fun to watch.

The DVD version of the film I saw didn't have much in the way of extras besides a trailer and a widescreen picture transfer. No matter, though. The movie is challenging enough to make you forget all about commentaries, stills, and any other of the usual extras. After watching "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover," I would like to see other Peter Greenaway films. Unfortunately, most of them have not received a reissue on DVD. If the subject matter is as disturbing as this film, no wonder! I recommend renting this movie and then inviting some friends over to watch it. Don't tell them anything about it beforehand, though. Just sit back and watch the jaws drop.

I don't get it. Leprechaun 2 is available on DVD, and this isn't.

I remember when this was released, it had just gotten a very positive review in the NY Times, and the theater was packed. Well, by the end of the film, there were plenty of empty seats. I've never seen so many people walk out on a movie, or in such a steady flow. It was as though the people who found it distasteful had very different levels of tolerance, or perhaps that the film offered an unusually broad selection of potentially offensive subjects. There were actually people who walked out during the last 10 minutes. Still, there were plenty of viewers who were transfixed by this exquisite film, including me. In fact, I had to go see it again the very next day. I can't remember being quite so affected by any movie.

Helen Mirren and Michael Gambon are both very good here, but what really sets this film apart are the stunning, painterly compositions and the lush cinematography (by Sacha Vierny). The brutal violence, the dialogue, the characters and plot all serve as a background to the film's dazzling visual spectacle. This inversion is somewhat typical of Peter Greenaway's films in general, but this is perhaps his masterpiece. In short, I can't imagine a more necessary addition to the DVD canon.

If you want a film that will churn your stomach, make your eyes water and have you flinching in a way you never thought possible then this film is DEFINATELY for you. I didn't think I would like it at all, but it is one of the best offbeat films I have ever watched. Helen Mirren is superb as the down trodden wife of a vicious gangster played to perfection by Michael Gambon. Set in a restaurant we are treated to a visual feast of decadence galore as each night Gambon and his cohorts meet in the same restaurant to enjoy the culinary delights of Richard Bohringer who plays the restaurant's cook. It's not long before Helen Mirren finds comfort in the arms of a fellow diner, and their first encounter is in the ladies toilet where they succumb to their passion. It's not long before they enjoying more than just the food in the restaurant each night, and the Cook and his staff discreetly ignore their illicit meetings. However the deception cannot last and Gambon finds out that his wife is being unfaithful and extracts a horrific revenge on Helen's lover. But Helen has found in herself a strength she never knew she had and with the aid of the Cook, she organizes a counter revenge that is shockingly outrageous but totally appropriate. Peter Greenaway has created a masterpiece in "The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover," it is visually stunning, utterly grotesque, totally disgusting in parts and so outrageous it is no wonder that people walked out of the cinema before the film had ended. However, if you want something that shocks the socks off you then get buy or rent this film. It's deliciously grotesque and it is a shame this film is not yet available on DVD.

Another reviewer has quoted an unnamed reviewer (I assume of this movie) as asking "What story did it tell me? What aspect of our world did it illuminate? What did it show about, say, evil that I didn't already know before?"

Gosh, I wonder what percentage of all the world's movies would meet those criteria? Let me suggest my own questions:

Did I enjoy it? (Yes!) Was it well-done? (Marvelously!) Was the ending satisfying? (Certainly as satisfying as any other tragedy.)

I've seen ratings of this movie that stressed "Strong sexual content." I assume they were referring to the full male and female nudity. Interestingly, I don't recall any sexual acts -- maybe they were just irrelevant among the multitude of overwhelming visual delights.

Try to see this on a big screen (home theater) as its sweep is almost comparable to "Prospero's Books" -- although much less dense in detail. While Prospero leaves you gasping from sensory overload, "The Cook..." will widen your eyes to take in the beauty of individual scenes.

This is probably Peter Greenaway's most accessible film. It's a controversial film and has a NC-17 rating in the US. It's a tale of sex, lust, food, gluttony, murder and revenge. The film opens with a vulgar scatological scene, when a man is smeared with excrement by 'The Thief', Albert Spica. Most of the film is set in an elegant gourmet restaurent called Le Hollandais. Spica dines at this restaurant frequently, along with his gorgeous wife Georgina (played by solemnly sexy Helen Mirren) and his group of coarse associates.

Spica is a vulgarian, who growls his orders towards those around him. Georgina then becomes fixated with a customer in the restaurant (Alan Howard) and the two of them have a dangerous sexual affair there. Eventually, Spica discovers their liaison, and the film draws to its memorable and shocking conclusion, which is the ultimate retribution. Sumptuous to look like at and superbly performed. A must see.

The DVD image is in widescreen 2.35:1 and it is a good transfer. It is well defined and the colours are splendid. The sound is in Dolby 2.0 and pretty good. Michael Nyman's excellent soundtrack uses the surround channel to good effect. The main menu is nicely animated with a sexual scene at the bottom of the screen and a boy singing at the top, with Nyman's music playing. There are 30 chapters. Sadly, the extras are just two trailers.

The first time I saw "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover", I thought it was the most vile, disgusting film I'd ever seen. I felt physically ill as I left the theatre. Months later, after still reading rave reviews, I gave it a second chance (on video for $1). It was beautiful, overwhelming, multi-layered, sexy, shocking, tragic, and even funny. If you steel yourself for this experience, you can enjoy it for what it truly is: a Master film-maker, working with a masterful group of actors (led by the exquisite Helen Mirren, who is flawless and Michael Gambon, who is terrifying), wearing unmistakeable costumes by Gaultier, feauturing music by an amazing composer (Michael Nyman), all coming together beautifully to tell this beautifully lit and photographed tale of love, revenge, power, and tragedy. Be warned: it is not for the faint of heart. For those who dare, it is a once in a lifetime cinematic experience that you will never forget.

Let face it, to thoroughly enjoy this film, you have to be a little sick, I'm not trying to offend, I thoroughly enjoyed it. (anyone who is a fan won't be the kind of person who offends easily) It is a Visual Feast that has to be seen to be believed, theres has never been a film like it, and there probably won't be again. It is just too hard for most people to stomach, (understandably) which is a shame because for all the ugliness, there is also alot of beauty, tremendous performances abound, and a truly one-of-a-kind cinema experience. It does lose some of it's power off the big screen, but it will still knock your socks off. If your an open minded film fan who hasn't even heard of this film before, you people are the lucky ones. Don't read into it, just see it... Now, before the feast is revealed.

Please be aware that this DVD is Region 2 encoded and will not play on most US DVD players which are Region 1. You can buy player which will ignore the region code on Amazon - just search for "multi region dvd player".

This is a movie many people either love or hate; and I like it a lot. It's all style, all color, all rage. A thief (Michael Gambon as Albert Spica) and his wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren) with his toadies and gang members dine each night at the restaurant of the cook (Richard Bohringer). Spica is a monster; crude, loud and a bully with the table manners of a hog. The first scene in the movie is Spica, his gang and their women getting out of their cars in a dark, wet alleyway and preparing to enter the restaurant through the kitchen. But first they deal with a guy who owes Spica money. His gang brings Spica dog excrement on pieces of paper; Spica wipes the stuff all over the other guy's face and mouth. They strip him down while the women watch and Spica continues to smear him. He pokes at the cowering man on the ground with his cane, while others kick at him. Then he urinates on him...but chews out a toadie who was going to do the same because the toadie might offend the women. Spica's behavior doesn't get any better. Georgina Spica wears matyrdom like a cloak. Eating every night in the restaurant is a shy, book-loving man (Alan Howard) who ignores the uproar Albert and his gang create. He and Georgina see each other and he becomes her lover, making love everywhere in the restaurant that they can find where it's quiet, with the help of the cook. The thief finds out and deals with the lover. The wife takes her revenge with the complicity of the cook in a grotesque and appropriate way.

Sounds simple enough, but this movie is a powerhouse. The look of the film, like so much of Greenaway's stuff, is lush and highly stylized. The rooms of the restaurant have their own colors and the costumes of the actors change colors as they move from room to room. The kitchen is huge and strange, with boiling kettles, hanging instruments and tables piled high with glassware and dishes; with geese being plucked in clouds of feathers; with fat, half-naked men stirring steaming sauce pans. A white-haired, retarded boy does simple tasks while singing in a counter-tenor.

The movie, I think, seems to be about anger and retribution. Gambon is a powerful as Albert Spica, completely repellant, domineering and absolutely fascinating. Helen Mirren is superb, and one of the bravest actors around. Her humiliation at the hands of her husband just goes on and on. Her scenes of sexual escape with Alan Howard are hardly erotic, but they are explicit and strong.

Greenaway has done a number of films. I think a lot of Prospero's Books (1991) and The Draughtsman's Contract (1982). He's a guy you have to get in the mood for, though. He doesn't make easy films.

This movie is art on film. The use of color in both setting and costume/dress are really cool. The character Georgina's dress changes from red to white in the blink of an eye, as she passes from one room to the next, seamlessly. The director is able to convey the feeling of terror and compounding tension with each act.
Some might be offended by some of the nudity and sexuality in the film, but those who are probably aren't the type to appreciate artistic film. And there isn't enough of either to please the pornographic crowd that tries to justify nudies with a vague "artistic" claim.
The film contains not so much sexuality as it does sensuality, as the heroine Georgina is desperate to bond with another human at any level, after having to endure the monstrous, inhumane treatment of her husband/jailer.
The chef (cook) provides a bridge among the other 3 mains, as indeed his restaurant is the stage for most of the film. He is the stoic voice of reason in a deplorable situation.
I have not seen any of Greenaway's other films, but have meant to do so after first seeing this in the late 80's. His use of imagery is, for me, on a par with Terrence Malick.