On C List of Movie Reviews

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The Cook, the Thief, His Wife
& Her Lover (1989)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 3/15

CThWL
3/15: I hadn't seen a film that's unusual and different like The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover in a long time.

The change of scenery is welcoming, and it pays off handsomely well. However, my opinion is still mixed. First of all, the cinematography and the colors are enticing. It's never static but is always moving from one room to another in the restaurant through a long tracking shot. Every room has a dominant color, and it's reflected by the wardrobe changes of characters walking from one to another.

One reviewer described the play as a "character study of weird people," but I beg to differ: it's rather a "character study of masochists and sadists." Only Albert is a walking practitioner of the Seven Deadly Sins; after having abused his prerogative so much, he's finally outdone by his wife because she has had enough and can't take it anymore. Sure, there's no feeling for anyone because they're unconventional and repulsive.

The problem is the high amount of excess although it's not as bad as Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma. Hence, the pace can be uneven at times. There are too much talking, too much abusive behavior, and too much repetition. The days are recycled as they're more of the same. Therefore, the running length should be shorter.

Momentum is slowed down by the time the lovers appear in the book depository when the setting should be within the confines of the restaurant. There are many set pieces which can be thought of as metaphors, yet I can't make them out.

I like the mural, The Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Militia Company which was painted by Frans Hals in 1616, that's situated behind the patrons. It represents the base elements between two generations not having changed an iota: the pursuit of avarice, torture, and gormandizing. The long tracking shot from outside to the kitchen to the dining room to the lavatory represents the digestion cycle with a different dominant color room per room as the mood changes for each stage of the cycle.

All in all, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover tops anything by Fellini and is among the most avant-garde pictures made.