The Girl in the Café

2005 1h 34m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 102

ComedyDramaRomanceTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Lawrence, an aging, lonely civil servant falls for Gina, an enigmatic young woman. When he takes her to the G8 Summit in Reykjavik, however, their bond is tested by Lawrence's professional obligations.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Bill Nighy
Lawrence
Kelly Macdonald
Gina
Meneka Das
Sunita
Anton Lesser
George
Paul Ritter
Robert
Ken Stott
Chancellor
Penny Downie
Ruth
Damon Younger
Hotel Receptionist

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Yates
Writers: Richard Curtis
Languages: French, English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 21 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Yates, shot by Chris Seager. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nicholas Hooper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mark Day shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald and Meneka Das carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0443518 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Yates directs. Chris Seager behind the camera. Nicholas Hooper scores. Mark Day cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 21 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by David Yates, shot by Chris Seager. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Nicholas Hooper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mark Day shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald and Meneka Das carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0443518 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Chris Seager
Original score: Nicholas Hooper
Editing: Mark Day
Production design: Candida Otton
Costume design: Jacky Levy
Makeup / hair: Anne Oldham
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Girl in the Café (2005)

Also by

David Yates

Community reviews

What people are saying

Peter McGinn2020-08-06
★ 9/10
I have seen this film twice, about ten years apart. It is the sort of quiet film that is wonderful when it is done right, though sometimes you need to be in the mood for them. Bill Nighy as Lawrence gives a strong, understated performance here. The movie description states that his character is lonely and I suppose that is true. But he is lonely in the way that William Hurt is lonely in the classic The Accidental Tourist. Contemplative, leading a quiet existence, but not pathetic or requiring pity. But I also have this image of a man who once might have been excited about his job, his role in bringing about social change for the better, but as a career government employee, now knows that the game is lowered expectations, endless negotiations and much less than perfect results. And just as Geena Davis’s character lights a fire under William Hurt’s finely crafted life in the earlier film, a character with a similar name, Gina, does the same for our Lawrence. She possesses a spark, a fierce idealism That has long since slipped away from Lawrence. She challenges the notion that social justice is something that can be negotiated by politicians, and her energy enlivens Lawrence. The question is, will her enthusiasm and stubborn activist attitude threaten the career that has all but defined Lawrence’s life for many years?

Production companies