The Cook, The Thief, His Wife 
& Her Lover18

Directed by Peter Greenaway | UK | 1989 | 2h 4m | Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Richard Bohringer, Alan Howard, Tim Roth, Ciarán Hinds

A ruthless mobster purchases a gourmet restaurant in London, regularly dining there with his long-suffering wife. However, when the cook, a thief, the mobster’s wife, and her secret lover all come together, a shocking torrent of sex, food, murder, and revenge is unleashed. Set to Michael Nyman’s score and featuring Jean Paul Gaultier’s costumes, Peter Greenaway’s notorious and stylish crime drama presents a disturbing feast reflecting Britain’s social, moral, and political decay.

Reviews

‘Greenaway’s stunning “designer dream” is sick, sexy and rude in about equal provocative proportions and totally unforgettable.’
★★★★
Alan Jones, Radio Times

‘Many people will be profoundly offended by this film… but some may appreciate it for what it certainly is: the most startling depiction of intellectual cruelty and evil for many years.’
★★★★
John Mount, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Cook, The Thief, His Wife 
& Her Lover between May 5, 2024 and May 6, 2024.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 9th April)

15:00

Hamnet 12A
Descriptive Subtitles
2h 6m
Shakespeare and his wife endure the devastating loss of their young son, straining love and family bonds. Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland) poignant adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel captures grief, creativity, and resilience, with moving performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

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18:00

Mon Oncle U
1h 56m | French w/ English subtitles
Monsieur Hulot adores his quirky city apartment and struggles with his sister’s ultra-modern suburban life. In Jacques Tati’s first colour film, Hulot’s charming misadventures satirise modern living and earned Tati the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film.

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20:45

The Love That Remains 15
1h 49m | Icelandic w/ English subtitles
Anna and Magnús raise three children in rural Iceland, but cracks in their marriage begin to appear. Acclaimed director Hlynur Pálmason (Godland) crafts a warm and quietly humorous portrait of family life unfolding across seasons of the vast Icelandic landscape.

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Tomorrow (Friday 10th April)

14:45

La Grazia 12A
2h 13m | Italian w/ English subtitles
As the end of his presidency approaches, Italian leader Mariano De Santis faces difficult political and personal choices. Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) directs a sweeping drama about power and freedom, featuring Toni Servillo in an award-winning performance.

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17:45

Sentimental Value 15
2h 13m | Norwegian w/ English subtitles
Actress Nora confronts her estranged father, a famed director preparing a comeback, and reconnects with her sister. Old tensions and new ambitions collide, forcing them to face their past. Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning star in Joachim Trier’s (The Worst Person in the World) emotionally rich story of reconciliation.

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20:45

The Good Boy 15
1h 50m
Tommy, a reckless nineteen-year-old, is abducted after a night of drugs and partying and wakes imprisoned in a remote Yorkshire basement. Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough star in this fresh, unsettlingly twisted thriller.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!