In one of writer/director Peter Greenaway’s darkest comedies, three generations of womenfolk, all named Cissie Colpitts, drown their menfolk with the acquiescence of the local coroner, Madgett (Bernard Hill).
Joan Plowright, Juliet Stevenson, and Joely Richardson are delightfully lethal as the scheming trio while Greenaway indulges his obsessions with word games, lists and the ache of mortality.
Michael Nyman’s score builds momentum, even though there isn’t any, and the whole is luminous and lurid in equal measure.
Madgett
Bernard Hill Cissie Colpitts 1
Joan Plowright Cissie Colpitts 2
Juliet Stevenson Cissie Colpitts 3
Joely Richardson Smut
Jason Edwards Jake
Bryan Pringle Hardy
Trevor Cooper Bellamy
David Morrissey Gregory
John Rogan Teigan
Paul Mooney Nancy
Jane Gurnett Jonah Bognor
Kenny Ireland
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