The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
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VHS Movie Reviews of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
Movie Review: Completely Bizarre, Unsettling, and Yes, Boring
Summary: 3 Stars
Let me start off by saying that I had severe difficulty comprehending this film- sound-wise, visually, and narratively. To address the sound, this DVD does not have subtitles. If you're an American unaccustomed to thick British accents, that presents a problem...Secondly, the film posits most of the action from a distance- frequently employing a horizontal tracking shot which parallels the actors as they walk from room to room. There are few closeups, and the movie really disorients the viewer in terms of what action we should focus on. Given the overwhelming lavishness and richness of the sets, the human actors often compete with inanimate parts of the sets for our attention. Thirdly, the film is so hyper-stylized as to lose its narrative power. Human relationships are shaped into sweeping metaphors regarding British society. The central love story between The Wife (Helen Mirren) and Her Lover (Alan Howard) involves nearly no verbal communication. They have a connection, but it is not conveyed in recognizable human terms. The Cook is compassionate and long-suffering, but again, this film does not depict him or any of the characters as more than superficial fodder for a political polemic. There were aspects of the film I certainly enjoy- Greenaway conveys a palpable atmosphere of the evils of excess. Scatology and food and violence are linked together with remarkable vulgarity. The garishness and inhumanity of the restaurant is genuinely unsettling. However, ultimately, Greenaway's supposed masterpiece bored me. Without appealing characters and without comprehensible visuals (or sound) I really found this movie more irritating than appealing. Movie Review: Help.
Summary: 5 Stars
Does anyone know if this is the original(masterful) uncut version of the film with the full fronton nudity, frank discussions of sexual violence, rotting meat, and long running time original release, or if this is the edited version available rated r instead of nc-17 that I mistakenly rented at a blockbuster which after all the cuts makes far less sense... cause I don't want to waste my money on the crappy one.Movie Review: A Depressing Exercise in Depravity
Summary: 2 Stars
I wanted to watch this movie for a long time, ever since it came out in the early 90s, when I was too young to rent NC-17 movies. Now, I am older, and can rent whatever I want. Although controversial when it came out, The Cook, the Thief seems almost tame 15 years later. The sex is fairly mild compared to the love scenes in Basic Instinct or Monster's Ball. And the violence, though unsettling, is nowhere near as bloody as any given Quentin Tarantino movie. So, what was the big fuss all about? A movie such as Titus is much more depraved than this one is. What are we left with then? Albert, the thief of the title, and who is given far too much screen time, is one of the most repellant figures in any movie I've seen. He's like Tony Montana without the charm, if such a thing is imaginable. Albert is the worst type of animal: a brute who thinks he's cultured. He stomps and swears and bullies everyone around him like a ten year old on a playground. That such an unbalanced and erratic criminal, who is naturally given to making enemies, could live as long as he has, is amazing. I won't give away the ending, but someone in the movie eventualy stands up to Albert. But the payoff provides no uplift. It only adds to the film's nihilistic dread. The performances in the movie are fine. I suppose my biggest problem with the film is Greenway's ponderous directorial style. From a compositional standpoint, the film is repetitive, with most shots being centered, and there being few closeups. The set design is the film's most intriguing quality. But the scenes, shot against rich reds, still feels cold. Chillier than Kubrick at his chilliest. Almost all the film takes place at night in a cavernous-looking restaurant or just outside it. The rooms are as large as the rooms in Charles Foster Kane's mansion. The film looks like it was filmed in hell, the actors look thoroughly miserable throughout, and it is a trial watching events unfold. Only the lavatory of the restaurant has any brightness to it. But even the sex there seems cheerless. I would never fault a movie for being depressing. Some of the best films are. But Cook, the Thief leaves you with a really ugly, unpleasant feeling. Two stars for the film's admirable performances and its overall audacity. But I couldn't wait for it to be over. Movie Review: Beware. Region 2 DVD Won't Play on US Players
Summary: 5 Stars
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".Movie Review: Get ready for unusual comestibles!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I saw this movie when it came out, way back when (1990?), I remember saying to myself, "What is it that makes this movie seem like a play?" Then, about a quarter way through, I realized it was all filmed on one long soundstage, with the camera moving back and forth among sets. (All right, call me "swift".) And that dimension (or lack thereof) made the movie all the more incredibly gripping.
Now, having said that, you would assume that the dvd would have been formatted for wide-screen letter-box. But no. I still scratch my head in incredulity.
Still, that should not stop anyone from getting this amazing movie. Yes, it is grueling, it is violent, it is... gross. But there is actually a good story with real characters here, very much unlike most movies that have no plot or people to go with the gore. The performances are over-the-top, but that is intended: this is a melodrama of sorts, after all. Helen Mirren is gorgeous. And I didn't realize Tim Roth was in the film until I had recently purchased this dvd. (What a bucket of slime he plays!)
The shock value might not be as impressive as it was 15 or so years ago. Still, this is an incredibly intense film that holds up well.