The Girl in the Café (The Girl in the Cafe) (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Wildaly M

  
  Cute.

• Alice S

  
  The age-crossing romance is quite perfect - less awkward than the one in <i>Lost in Translation</i> because there is no ambiguity as to the romance part. What really grinds my gears though is the unconvincing portrayal of the so-called humanitarian message. It smacks of… More
  The age-crossing romance is quite perfect - less awkward than the one in <i>Lost in Translation</i> because there is no ambiguity as to the romance part. What really grinds my gears though is the unconvincing portrayal of the so-called humanitarian message. It smacks of being written by people who don't really know what goes on at the G8 conference. All of Gina's pleas are pathos and logos arguments that she just read about in a pamphlet. There is no exigence. We don't learn her ethos argument until the end, and even that is a stretch. The connection between the loss of a child due to domestic crime and the loss of children to worldwide poverty is too easy a motivation. All of the political elements are just easier-said-than-done.

• Cassandra M

  
  Bill Nighy gives another brilliant performance as Lawrence, a middle-aged, lonely politician who one day, while sneaking out of work for a short coffee break, comes across a young girl in the café. Cramped conditions lead to him having to share a table with this girl, leading to an… More
  Bill Nighy gives another brilliant performance as Lawrence, a middle-aged, lonely politician who one day, while sneaking out of work for a short coffee break, comes across a young girl in the café. Cramped conditions lead to him having to share a table with this girl, leading to an awkward series of uncomfortable conversations. A series of conversations, that both however enjoy. Nighy's shy and nervous Lawrence manages to pluck up the courage to invite this young girl, Gina, out to lunch. And so the strange relationship ensues, Attracted by his sweet naivety in relationships and women, Gina soon falls for Lawrence, as he does with her. However, things are not what they seem, many problems begin to occur. Lawrence's job as a member of the G8 conflict with Gina's personal opinions. And when Lawrence invites her to join him when he goes to the g8 conference, many more conflicts happen, soon resulting in Lawrence having to choose between his love, and his job. This is a fantastic film, a total surprise for me, as I, in fact, was not expecting much when i was first told to it, but by the end of the film i was loving every character. This is a surprisingly dramatic film that plucks at the heart strings of anyone who has ever felt loss in their life.

• Leigh R

  
  Beautiful.

• Lanning :

  
  Two of my favorites, Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald, in the kind of HBO movie that sends chills up and down the mainstream moviemakers' spines. This is small independent filmmaking at its best. A great love story coupled with an important story about global poverty. <p>… More
  Two of my favorites, Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald, in the kind of HBO movie that sends chills up and down the mainstream moviemakers' spines. This is small independent filmmaking at its best. A great love story coupled with an important story about global poverty. <p> <b>01/22/07 update:</b> David Yates, if this is a sign of what <i>Order of the Phoenix</i> could be, more power to you!

• Sarah G

  
  I liked it, a very sweet drama. Bill nighy is brilliant in this, felt an incredible amount of sympathy forthe character.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]"The Girl in the Cafe" starts with Lawrence(Bill Nighy), a senior finance official, brushing his teeth in London. Later, his favorite cafe is unusually crowded and he takes the only seat available at a table where a much younger woman, Gina(Kelly… More
  [font=Century Gothic]"The Girl in the Cafe" starts with Lawrence(Bill Nighy), a senior finance official, brushing his teeth in London. Later, his favorite cafe is unusually crowded and he takes the only seat available at a table where a much younger woman, Gina(Kelly Macdonald), is sitting alone. Awkward conversation leads to less awkward conversation leads to a proper lunch leads to dinner. And after some thinking, Lawrence invites Gina along to the G8 Conference in Reykjavik.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The Girl in the Cafe" succeeds as much it does on the strength of its two lead performances, especially Bill Nighy who is simply amazing in injecting a great deal of humanity into such a nondescript character. And the movie is surprisingly warm and witty before the filmmakers make a supremely bad decision by delivering a personal statement with all the subtlety of a pile driver, leaving any signs of plausibility far behind. I am not unsympathetic but my heart will always be with the protestors outside of the barricades, rather than with the career politicians inside.[/font]

• Lesley N

  
  Fumbling romance between Kelly Macdonald and Bill NIghy, given extra gravitas by setting it at the G8 summit in Reykjavki. Though poverty eradication doesn't stand much of a chance if the unassertive apologetic Nighy is its main proponent, stillll theres Ms Macdonald on hand to… More
  Fumbling romance between Kelly Macdonald and Bill NIghy, given extra gravitas by setting it at the G8 summit in Reykjavki. Though poverty eradication doesn't stand much of a chance if the unassertive apologetic Nighy is its main proponent, stillll theres Ms Macdonald on hand to grandma how to suck eggs and ther'es a couple of nice reveals that give more depth to her apparently ingenue character.

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