I’m leaving Hollywood today for a very specific gateway film. Anyone serious about cinema has this type of film. It showed me things I didn’t think you were allowed to film. Perverse and disgusting images displayed in a painterly way. It was my first NC-17 movie, a rating it earns right from the opening, but what held my attention with the unique approach to Set and Costume Design. Most of the film takes place at a very fancy restaurant and the camera glides from the blue parking lot on the far left through a green kitchen and a red dining room to the pristine white bathroom on the opposite end. Characters are dressed mostly in black with accents like ties changing color as they move from room to room.
There are many ways to analyze the film. It’s divided into distinct days of the week, each introduced by that day’s menu. Director Peter Greenaway – who I became an instant fan of – has a deep knowledge of art compositions and rigidly structured architecture. Each room is like its own period in history, and comes with an insane amount of detail often filmed in very wide frames. The dialogue is mostly barked out by The Thief (Michael Gambon, who I didn’t know at the time.) The film also stars Helen Mirren and Ciarán Hinds, but the only face familiar to me was Tim Roth. The story is easy enough to follow, but due to its constant graphic and adult content, it’s not a film I can recommend to everyone. However, if you’re looking to have your cinematic mind expanded without feeling like the film wants you to be on drugs, this is a life-changing experience.
Leave A Comment