Food for Thought - A Cinematic Feast: "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover"
Cultural & Leisure
17-11-2025
1989 | UK, France | Colour | 124′ | DCP
Director／Screenwriter: Peter Greenaway
Cinematographer: Sacha Vierny
Cast: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Alan Howard
In English with Chinese and English subtitles
1990 Best Foreign Film, Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards
Post-screening talk in Cantonese on 28th December at Hong Kong Film Archive
Speaker: Horace Chan
The vulgar tycoon, insatiable in his greed, bullies the weak with his brute force. He buys up a restaurant to flaunt his wealth, indulging his gluttonous appetite. His neglected wife, lonely and yearning, watches silently as the scholarly gentleman never puts down his books. The kitchen and washrooms become their secret dating places. This lover, surrounded by mountains of books, seeks not only to satisfy his stomach but also to nourish his soul. The French chef observes it all, busily crafting exquisite dishes while helping the lovers find hiding places. Director Peter Greenaway uses food as a conduit to paint with films. He masterfully arranges distinct colour palettes across each scene, interweaving appetite with lust, passion with vengeance. This ultimate visual feast challenges the audience’s senses. The meticulously designed restaurant serves as both a stage for love and hatred, and a metaphor for social power structures, even offering a sharp critique of the wealth inequality exacerbated by the Thatcher era.
Director／Screenwriter: Peter Greenaway
Cinematographer: Sacha Vierny
Cast: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Alan Howard
In English with Chinese and English subtitles
1990 Best Foreign Film, Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards
Post-screening talk in Cantonese on 28th December at Hong Kong Film Archive
Speaker: Horace Chan
The vulgar tycoon, insatiable in his greed, bullies the weak with his brute force. He buys up a restaurant to flaunt his wealth, indulging his gluttonous appetite. His neglected wife, lonely and yearning, watches silently as the scholarly gentleman never puts down his books. The kitchen and washrooms become their secret dating places. This lover, surrounded by mountains of books, seeks not only to satisfy his stomach but also to nourish his soul. The French chef observes it all, busily crafting exquisite dishes while helping the lovers find hiding places. Director Peter Greenaway uses food as a conduit to paint with films. He masterfully arranges distinct colour palettes across each scene, interweaving appetite with lust, passion with vengeance. This ultimate visual feast challenges the audience’s senses. The meticulously designed restaurant serves as both a stage for love and hatred, and a metaphor for social power structures, even offering a sharp critique of the wealth inequality exacerbated by the Thatcher era.