Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
1989
**
Director: Peter Greenaway
Cast: Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Tim Roth, Richard Bohringer

A boorish gangster and his wife are regular customers in Le Hollandais. Their unorthodox relationship turns violent when she starts having an affair in the restaurant. The production design, costumes and cinematography are first class, but Peter Greenaway's pompous and off-putting drama aspires to be art with a capital A. Michael Gambon hams it big in the lead.