Review of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) by Will D — 31 Mar 2010

Up until now, my only exposure to Peter Greenaway was Prospero's Books, a film I found to be tedious and incredibly pretentious (I hate the word, but sometimes it's all that applies). So I put off watching The Cook.

.. for a long time...and now I'm kicking myself for the wait. My friend Ryan described the film as pure opera, and it's an appropriate description in many ways. Of course, it applies to the story, which spins its four titular characters into a story of jealousy (the thief), lust (his wife), honor (her lover), and barely contained distaste and hatred (the cook), to say nothing of bloody, bloody revenge.

But it also applies to the lush, jaw-dropping visuals, which encompass a dark and intimidating street, a massive kitchen that feels like a castle dungeon, an incredible blood-tinted dining room, and a blindingly white restroom, all while Greenaway alter the character's clothes to match the colors of each room they enter.

And. to be sure, it applies equally well to the performances, all of which shoot for the rafters and succeed, but none so much as Michael Gambon as the thief, a vile, brutish boor whose constant speech and abuse make him into a terrifying force of nature to be reckoned with.

There are any number of takes on the movie - from political allegory to social commentary - but even without it, the film works as pure Grand Guignol opera, and it's completely riveting from the first frame to the end.

The characters are compelling, the visuals astonishing, the story riveting, the violence and cruelty revolting (seriously - this is not for the faint of heart), and the impact incredible. One of the best films I've seen in years, and one that makes me feel like I need to start trying every other Greenaway to see what I've missed.