Peter Greenaway once stated that whatever the story, all his films were ever really about was sex and death – however, we here at the Gastroplex think he was very much undervaluing the importance of food to his work.   Never was this more evident than in this film – perhaps his best known work, and certainly his most successful, both critically and commercially. 

The corrupt hellscape of Thatcher’s loadsamoney Britain is crystalised in the tale of a boorish gangster (the ‘thief’ of the title) laundering his ill-gotten gains through a ‘respectable’ restaurant.  Lucious tableaux of delectable dishes evoke the paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt, juxtaposed against a Grand Guignol of violence and decay…all accompanied by a driving soundtrack from Michael Nyman.  Make sure you’ve had your dinner first, though, as you probably won’t be feeling too hungry after seeing the final scene…