The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover

Compared to his other efforts, the plot in Peter Greenaway's controversial 1989 film is atypically straightforward: Albert (Michael Gambon), an invective-spewing racketeer/restaurant owner who gorges himself on delicacies that he cannot pronounce (while lecturing his morose band of hoods on food, women, power, and sex), loses a key member of his audience one evening: his wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren). Georgina, who's caught the eye of a fellow diner (Alan Howard) scampers off to the loo for some hanky panky, a practice she continues in various nooks and crannies throughout the restaurant over ensuing days until Albert finally discovers what's been going on between the main course and dessert, so to speak, and exacts his revenge. One of the first films to be slapped with an NC-17 rating (hypocritically for full frontal male nudity), the DVD transfer here is good, and while there are virtually no extras (beyond the standard trailers), the wonderful widescreen presentation still makes this highly recommended. (R. Pitman)