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

Calificación de los usuarios:

7.2/10   

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Guionista:

Peter Greenaway (writer)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

6 abril 1990 (USA)

Género:

Comedia | Crimen | Drama

Frase comercial:

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 | Murder | Sex | Allegory | Food

Premios:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Self-indulgence dressed up as art

Reparto

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

También conocida como:

Le cuisinier, le voleur, sa femme et son amant (France)
Spica
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
El cocinero, el ladrón, su mujer y su amante (Argentina) (Spain) [es]

Duración:

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

País:

France | UK

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color

Relación de Aspecto:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby

Clasificación:

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+ | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1990) | Australia:R (sexual references/scenes) | USA:X (original rating) | France:X (original rating) | 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:NC-17 | USA:R (video rating) (cut) | West Germany:18

Locaciones de Filmación:

Goldcrest Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Compañía:

Allarts Cook

Trivialidades:

The film is based on the 17th century Jacobian revenge drama by John Ford, 'Tis Pity She's A Whore'.

Citas:

Albert: Looks like catfood for constipated French rabbits!

Conexiones de Película:

Referenced in Live Feed (2006)

Self-indulgence dressed up as art

It's too long since I've seen this to do a proper hatchet job, but I recall thinking that it was needlessly difficult to watch. Art films don't have to be jarringly stilted, but this one groans under the weight of Peter Greenaway's constant reminders that he is AVANT GARDE. It's the film equivalent of a dinner party guest who spends the evening spitting in your food to show that he is free from the constraints of social norms.

There are elements - the class observations, long panning shots and colour changes from room to room, to name three - that show Greenaway's unusual talent, but they are overwhelmed by a tide of gratuitous overacting, overlong scenes and functionless dialogue.

The film is an extended metaphor for Margaret Thatcher's thuggish reign as Prime Minister of Britain, and the subject seems to have thrown Greenaway into such a frothing rage that he was unable to concentate on anything but the metaphysical.

Some people believe that the film succeeds because of its anarchic, freewheeling nature, but I think that is precisely its failure. Greenaway's reluctance to rein in the more self-indulgent parts of the film smacks of laziness and an inability to distinguish the benefits of experimentation from the dross it inevitably throws up.

It is as if he is saying: "Who am I to intervene in art?" Well, Peter, you are the director. You are perfectly placed to do so, and we really wouldn't hold it against you.