The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989): Cast & Box Office
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover is a 1989 crime drama directed by Peter Greenaway, starring Michael Gambon as Albert Spica, Alan Howard and Richard Bohringer. It runs 2 hours 4 minutes and earned $8.5 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 4m (124 min)
- Director
- Peter Greenaway
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Allarts
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover About?
The premise of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Lust…Murder…Dessert. Bon Appetit! The wife of an abusive criminal finds solace in the arms of a kind regular guest in her husband’s restaurant.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- adulterous wife
- female full frontal nudity
- food
- extramarital affair
- public humiliation
- adultery
- sex scene
- child in jeopardy
- female rear nudity
- singing
- allegory
- gangster
+38 more Show fewer
- stray dog
- boy
- sociopath
- husband wife relationship
- brutality
- domestic violence
- cannibalism
- wife murders her husband
- crime boss
- meat locker
- restaurant owner
- husband murders wife's lover
- dark comedy
- insult
- poetic justice
- cuckold
- lover
- villain
- evil man
- lust
- depravity
- perversion
- vulgarity
- forced cannibalism
- boy soprano
- sadist
- bathroom
- nihilism
- urination
- sexuality
- violence
- sex in a kitchen
- excrement
- abusive husband
- male full frontal nudity
- woman with a gun
- male nudity
- male pubic hair
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Cast & Characters
Michael Gambon leads the cast as Albert Spica, with Alan Howard as Michael and Richard Bohringer as Richard Boarst. Directed by Peter Greenaway; 46 actors are credited in all.
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Director Peter Greenaway
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Michael Gambon as Albert Spica -
Alan Howard as Michael -
Richard Bohringer as Richard Boarst -
Helen Mirren as Georgina Spica
Also Starring in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
· 42 more- Paul Russell Pup
- Yolande Brener 1st Diner's Wife
- Tim Roth Mitchel
- Ciarán Hinds Cory
- Ron Cook Mews
- Ewan Stewart Harris
- Gary Olsen Spangler
- Roger Lloyd Pack Geoff
- Liz Smith Grace
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths Turpin
- Alex Kingston Adele
- Janet Henfrey Alice
- Michael Clark Waiter
- Ian Dury Terry Fitch
- Bob Goody Starkie
- Diane Langton May Fitch
Show all 46 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Willie Ross Roy
- Andy Wilson 1st Diner
- Tony Alleff Troy
- Michael Maguire Waiter
- Ian Sears Phillipe
- Hywel Williams-Ellis Waiter
- Emer Gillespie Patricia
- Prudence Oliver Corelle Fitch
- Keith Barrows Customer
- Brenda Edwards Dancer
- Arnie Breeveld Eden
- Peter Rush Melter
- Pauline Mayer Fish Girl
- Ben Stoneham Meat Boy
- John Mullis 2nd Diner
- Flavia Brilli Cabaret Singer
- Sophie Goodchild Dancer
- Alex Fraser Waiter
- Gary Logan Waiter
- Tim Geary Waiter
- Saffron Rainey Waiter
- Patric Walters Kitchen Staff
- Sue Maund Kitchen Staff
- Nick Brozovic Kitchen Staff
- Caroline Pagano Kitchen Staff
- Irene Palko A Guest
More from Peter Greenaway
More films directed by Peter Greenaway, best-rated first: Rembrandt's J'Accuse...!, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, The Pillow Book and Eisenstein in Guanajuato.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Plot Summary
What happens in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Albert Spica, Michael Gambon, a ruthless English gangster, has seized control of Le Hollandais, the high-class restaurant run by the French chef Richard Boarst Richard Bohringer. Spica makes nightly appearances with a retinue of thugs, and his boorish behavior unsettles staff and diners alike, even as his money keeps the place going.
Forced to accompany him is his elegant wife Georgina Spica Helen Mirren, whose outward poise contrasts with a growing restlessness. Among the regulars is Michael, a quiet bookshop owner who draws Georgina’s interest. Under Spica’s watch, Georgina begins a discreet affair with Michael Alan Howard, a liaison that offers her a glimpse of a different life.
Full summary
The whole story of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, scene by scene
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Box Office
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover grossed $8.5 million worldwide. $7.7 million came from the US and Canada and $799,293 (9%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$8.5M
- US & Canada
- $7.7M
- International
- $799.3K
How Well Do You Know The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the high-class restaurant that Albert Spica seizes control of?
Cars in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
2 cars on screen: the 1973 Dodge Dart and the 1983 Ford Transit MkII.
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1973 Dodge Dart Important role -
1983 Ford Transit MkII Minor role
Seen The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover?
Movies Like The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Cook F**k Kill and Aamis.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover FAQ: Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover?
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover runs 2 hours 4 minutes (124 minutes).
When was The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover released?
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover was released on September 4, 1989.
Who directed The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover?
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover was directed by Peter Greenaway.
More films by Peter Greenaway Who is in the cast of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover?
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover stars Michael Gambon as Albert Spica, Alan Howard as Michael and Richard Bohringer as Richard Boarst, among 46 credited actors.
How much did The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover make at the box office?
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover grossed $8.5 million worldwide ($7.7 million domestic, $799,293 international).
Does The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover have a post-credit scene?
No. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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