The Girl in the Café (2005)

User Rating:
7.6/10 4,342 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
David Yates
Writer:
Richard Curtis (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Girl in the Café on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 June 2005 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
Love can't change what's wrong in the world. But it's a start.
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Civil Servant | G8 Summit | Poverty | G 8 | World Poverty
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
Curtis and 'Crash' Filmmakers Honored by Humanitas
(From WENN. 30 June 2006)
User Comments:
Make Poverty History more
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)

Bill Nighy ... Lawrence

Kelly Macdonald ... Gina

Meneka Das ... Sunita
Anton Lesser ... George
Paul Ritter ... Robert
Ken Stott ... Chancellor

Federico Zanni ... Italian Waiter
Penny Downie ... Ruth

Damon Younger ... Hotel Receptionist

Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir ... Assistant Receptionist
Marit Velle Kile ... Waitress (as Marit Kile)
Philippe De Grossouvre ... French Delegate
Louisa Bojesen ... CNBC Newscaster

Christian Rubeck ... German Senior Advisor (as Christian Pedersen)
Toshie Ogura ... Japanese Delegate
more
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Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
French | English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Stereo
Certification:
Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A | UK:15
Filming Locations:
London, England, UK more
Company:
BBC Wales more
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Continuity: When Lawrence checks into the hotel in Reykjavik he is told by the clerk that he is in room 5021. However later when he and Gina are walking down the hotel hallway to the room they go to 5121. more
Quotes:
Lawrence: Don't think because I'm not saying much that I wouldn't like to say a lot. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV) more
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User Comments
(Comment on this title)
40 out of 50 people found the following comment useful:-
Make Poverty History, 26 June 2005
10/10
Author: alex from Cape Town, South Africa

A beautiful and moving film. I didn't know what it was about as the trailer didn't reveal much other than the relationship between Nighy and McDonald so I was thinking it was just a gentle love story, a British 'Lost in Translation'.

But what transpired was so much more than that. I thought the way the enormous issue of global poverty and the few people who hold the political power to affect change was dealt with intelligently and sensitively and interwoven poignantly with the strange romance developing between the two leads.

I'm not too familiar with the background of the film but I would hazard a guess that the seeds of the project were sown when Richard Curtis wrote 'Love Actually' which included a subplot where the British PM (Hugh Grant) publicly opposed policies brought forward by the American president (Billy Bob Thornton).

Since 'Love Actually' was a light-hearted romantic comedy, the politics were never elaborated on but I'm sure that 'The Girl in the Cafe' was the opportunity for Curtis to put this topical issue into terms that anyone could understand and empathise with. The timing, of course, is impeccable, with the G8 summit to be held in Scotland within 2 weeks and widespread attention of the summit brought to the masses by Sir Bob Geldof and the simultaneous Live 8 series of concerts.

It goes without saying that the performances of the two leads are spot-on, Bill Nighy is the king of understated pathos as Lawrence and Kelly McDonald is gracious as the mysterious but steely Gina.

The film is shot in (literally) cool locations and makes a fantastic ad for the chilled aloofness that is Reykjavik.

But at the heart of this love story are the nameless, faceless millions who suffer daily and the ease with which this fact is taken as statistic. Africa has never before been on the forefront of social issues as it is today and to anyone who might be under the impression that poverty is an issue for politicians to sort out around the conference table, 'The Girl in the Cafe' is a potent reminder that the power to affect change is more immediate than we might think. Superb.