The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover is a 1989 drama about a woman who starts an affair with a kind man at her abusive husband’s restaurant.
Right when this film opens, it grabs hold, it’s cinematography and acting enough that I would recommend it just on these alone. Yes, there’s some violence here and there though nothing really too graphic, though it can be a little easy to understand why some people would have problems with it. And sure, there’s sex and nudity throughout, so if that kind of thing offends you, you may want to steer clear. However, for all others looking to try something you haven’t seen before, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover, is what to watch.
You might be guess what this story is about just from the title alone, but here’s the story anyway. Albert (Michael Gambon) is the thief who bullies everyone into getting things his way. He co-owns a restaurant with Richard (Richard Bohringer) the cook, but I don’t think he actually gets any residuals. Albert’s wife Georgina (Helen Mirren) is getting pretty irritate with her husband’s boorish behavior, not too mention the abuse. When she eventually meets Michael (Alan Howard), it’s a breath of fresh air, and despite the dangers involved, the two decide to begin an affair at the restaurant … right under Albert’s nose.
Gambon as Albert turns in one of the most violent, most despicable performances since perhaps Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet. It’s a far cry from the lovable Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, the two characters so different from each other it’s almost difficult to believe it’s the same actor. Some have said his performance here can get a little over-the-top, but tastes vary. More topically is the film’s considerable nudity, courtesy of Mirren and Howard, though theses moments naked together never feels gratuitous or pornographic. Their love scenes are shot almost like a 17th century painting come to life by cinematographer Sacha Vierny.
There are curious moments, with that of a young boy singing soprano all of a sudden maybe confusing some. It does sort of set a nice tone though, like a filmed Opera. There’s also the third act, which could have been trimmed down a bit and I really didn’t like Georgina’s final actions before the curtain closes. (Yes, there are actually curtains that open and close this movie, making the connections to a staged drama even more apparent). I really liked what she does beforehand and thought the movie should have ended right there, though I won’t give it away.
This is very much the very definition of an art film. It has elaborate tracking shots and long moments that focus just on the setting. Director Peter Greenaway makes this look feel very theatrical and if you were to pause each frame, it might look very much like a classical painting. There’s also a wonderful score by Michael Nyman, who many might better know for his iconic music to 1993’s The Piano, which is quite good. Despite the graphic nature, this is still a beautiful movie to sit through. So if this movie doesn’t hook you within the first ten or so minutes you might want to pass, but those that it does, bon appétit.
*NOTE: I recently saw an interview with director Ari Aster over on CineFix where discussed how this movie was a significant inspiration on Hereditary, especially in the opening shots to each films. You can watch the interview here.