The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
1989, NC-17, 124 min. Directed by Peter Greenaway. Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Tim Roth, Richard Bohringer, Alan Howard.
REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Thu., May 11, 2000
Despite its compelling nature, Greenaway’s film is not always an easy one to sit through. Quite visceral, the film includes unspeakable brutalities, voracious sex, and cannibalism. Most probably, the film is a parable about Thatcherism, although it can also be viewed at face value as a story about a browbeaten cook, his thuggish employer, his martyred wife, and her bookish lover. Visually, the work is amazingingly lush, with colors changing within the course of a scene. One of the first films to be released with an NC-17 rating, the film’s notoriety is probably what made Greenaway’s reputation on these shores.
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The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Peter Greenaway, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Tim Roth, Richard Bohringer, Alan Howard
