Upper Middlebrow

Upper Middlebrow


Episode 38: “Michael a l’Orange,” or Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover

November 30, 2023

Peter Greenaway’s film feels like an opera. It even features some operatic singing, but more to the point, its pleasures are more sensual than story driven. It’s not an easy film to watch, and may not inspire you to cook, but it is beautifully disturbing and meticulously crafted. Starring Helen Mirren and Michael Gambon in their primes, ˆThe Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover,” will haunt you for a long time.