Michael Gambon

Film: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover (1989)

Director: Peter Greenaway Cast: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren Running time: 120 minutes Cert: 18

This film put Peter Greenaway firmly in the public eye and it became notorious for its onscreen cruelty and power. With costumes by Jean-Paul Gaultier and a score by Michael Nyman the film is a visual as well as emotional experience.

The wife of a barbaric crime boss engages in a secret romance with a gentle bookseller between meals at her husband's restaurant. Food, colour coding, sex, murder, torture and cannibalism are the exotic fare in this modern...