7/30/2019 Review- The Cook

1/3

WrittenbyEmilyClarkson

TheCook,TheTheif,His

WifeandHerLover(1989)

Fig1

TheCook,theThief,hisWifeandherLoverisaromanticcrimedramathatwas

screenedin1989.Thefilm,writtenanddirectedbyPeterGreenawayrevolvesalmostentirelyaroundaLondonrestaurant.AthoroughlyrepulsivecrimeBoss

(playedbyMichaelGambon)ownstherestaurantandeatsthereeveryevening

alongwithhiscroniesandhiswife(playedbyHelenMirren).Despitethegangsraucouspresence,therestaurantisalwaysfullandthewifefindshereyesdrawn

toaquietmanacrosstheroom.Beforelongtheyhavebecomelovers,seeking

refugeinthevariousstoreroomsoftherestaurantwiththesympathetichelpoftheCook.

Theintroductionofthisfilmisanythingbutagentleone;itisanimmediateinsightintothedisgustingbehaviourofGambonscharacter,Mr

AlbertSpica.Interestinglythischaracter,foralmosteverymomentheispresent

onscreen,continuestotalk;thisverbaldiarrheaishighlightedbyLeo

Goldsmithinhisreview.Albertgorgesindiscriminatelyongourmetfood,loudlylectureshiswifeandassociatesonsocialproprietiesofwhichhehimselfseemingly

7/30/2019 Review- The Cook

2/3

WrittenbyEmilyClarkson

hasnonotion.(Goldsmith,2010)Theconstantlecturingonetiquetteandother

thingsleadstoasubconsciouspleafromaudiencesforhimtostopcreatingsuchadin,especiallywhenhestrivestobeamanofclassbutonlyeverappearstobe

anoikMirrenscharacter,MrsGeorginaSpica,thelongsufferingwifeofAlbertis

bycontrastsubdued,constantlyhumiliatedandbeatendownbyheroverbearinghusband.Butshefindsreliefintheeyesofaquietgentlebooksellerwhoalsofrequentsthesamerestaurant.Minutesafterspottingeachothertheycommitto

theirfirstsexualactintheladiesbathroom.Nowalthoughthemomentsof

passionfilmedbetweenthesetwocharactersarehighlyerotic,theymakeoddlysereneviewingcomparedtothebrutalbehaviourofAlbertfortherestofthe

film.Souncompromisinginitssavagerythatthesexseemstranquilbycomparison.(Ebert,1999)ItcreatesawelcomebreakfromAlbertscontinuous

spouting.Theonlynaggingfeaturemightbethesettinginwhichthepairmake

love.Nakedbodiesinthevariouspantrieswhilestaffareevencreepingaroundthepairdoesmakeforslightlyoddorawkwardviewing.

Theclearestandmostinterestingfeatureofthisfilmisitsuseofcolour

anddecadencewithinthesetdesign.thediningroom,withbrightredwalls,carpetsandtablesettings.ItisdominatedbyacopyofaFransHalspainting,

whose17th-centurycharacterswearclothingremarkablylikethatofthethief'sunsavorygroup.(James,1990)(fig2)Eachroomhasitsowndesignatedcolour.Thesecoloursarealsoreflectedinthecostumeofmanyofthecharacters,

connectingthemtotheirsurroundingsandaddingaverytheatricalelementtothefilm,strengtheningmoodslikelust,danger,envyandmuchmore.

fig2

Thisfilmcontainssomeofthemostpotenthumaninstinctsanditiswhat

makesthefilmsohardtowatchbutgrippingatthesametime.Despiteitsfalse

theatricalappearancewiththechangingcolours,thisfilmdemandsanemotionalresponsefromitsaudiences.IfviewersmanagetositthroughAlberts

grotesqueryandfindreliefinthescenesofthelovers,theyeventuallyfindthemselvesembroiledinthefinalscenes,desperatetoseehoweverythingends.

ItissaidrevengeisbestservedcoldTheCook,TheThief,HisWifeandHerLovermaychangeonesopiniononthematter.

7/30/2019 Review- The Cook

3/3

WrittenbyEmilyClarkson

Bibliography

Ebert,Roger,(1999)TheCooke,theThief,HisWifeandHerLoverhttp://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990101/REVIE

WS/901010301/1023

Goldsmith,Leo(2010)TheCook,theThief,HisWifeandHerLover

http://notcoming.com/reviews/cookthiefwifelover

James,Caryn(1990)TheCook,theThief,HisWifeandHerLover(1989)

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE4DE1F3DF935A35757C0

A966958260&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes

PicturesFig1:IMDb(2012)TheCook,theThief,HisWifeandHerLover(1989)

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm904306176/tt0097108

Fig2:Allen,Keith(2006)TheCook,theThief,hisWifeandherLover(1989)

DirectedbyPeterGreenawayhttp://www.movierapture.com/cookthethiefhiswifeandherlover.htm