The Grotesque (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Grotesque


image_size =
caption = Region 2 DVD cover, featuring Alan Bates and Sting
director = John-Paul Davidson
producer = Stephen Evans
John Kay
Trudie Styler
writer = Patrick McGrath
(novel and screenplay)
narrator =
starring = Alan Bates
Lena Headey
Theresa Russell
Sting
music = Anne Dudley
cinematography = Andrew Dunn
editing = Tariq Anwar
distributor = Live Entertainment (US)
released = flagicon|UK 14 June, 1996
flagicon|South Africa 24 January, 1997
flagicon|Spain 12 February, 1997
flagicon|USA 7 March, 1997
flagicon|France 28 November, 2001 (TV)
runtime = 99 minutes
country = flagicon|UK United Kingdom
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0113224

"The Grotesque" is a 1995 British film by John-Paul Davidson, adapted from the 1989 novel by Patrick McGrath. It stars Alan Bates, Lena Headey, Theresa Russell and Sting.

Academy Award-winning Costume Designer Colleen Atwood worked on the film, and McGrath's wife, actress Maria Aitken, performed in a supporting role. "The Grotesque" is also notable as featuring Sting in nude scenes.

Plot summary

From Amazon.com:

Sir Hugo is more interested in reconstructing dinosaur bones than in paying attention to his wife, Lady Harriet. He's not thrilled when daughter Cleo brings home her betrothed, Sidney, who aspires to be a poet. The new butler, Fledge, provides Lady Harriet with the attention she's been missing and then seduces Sidney. Did he have a role in Sidney's disappearance as well? [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HM70Q8 "The Grotesque" ~ Amazon.com] ]

Cast

Alan Bates ... Sir Hugo Coal
Theresa Russell ... Lady Harriet Coal
Sting ... Fledge
Lena Headey ... Cleo Coal
Jim Carter ... George Lecky
Anna Massey ... Mrs. Giblet
Trudie Styler ... Doris
Maria Aitken ... Lavinia Freebody
James Fleet ... Inspector Limp
Steven Mackintosh ... Sidney Giblet
John Mills ... Sir Edward Cleghorn
Chris Barnes ... John Lecky
Timothy Kightley ... Harbottle
Richard Durden ... Sykes-Herring
Nick Lucas ... Hubert Cleggie
Annette Badland ... Connie Babblehump
David Henry ... Freddy Hoygh
Bob Goody ... Father Pim
Edward Jewesbury ... Sir Edward Tome
David Killick ... Sir Humphrey Stoker
Geoffrey Freshwater ... Jury Foreman
Jeffrey Wickham ... Justice Congreve
Michael Cronin ... Dr. Walter Dendrite
Eleanor Church ... Nurse

Alternate titles and availability

The film was released under the title "Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets" in the United States, and later its US video title was "Grave Indiscretion". It is also known as "Butler morden leiser" in Germany, "Grotesco" in Portugal and "Perverso" in Spain.

The film is available on Region 2 DVD (as "The Grotesque") and VHS ("Grave Indiscretion") only, though both versions are out of print.

References

External links