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ComedyCrime

Drowning by Numbers

- Three Women And A Coroner.

Three generations of women who seek to murder their husbands share a solidarity for one another which brings about three copy-cat drownings.

Release Date : 1988-09-10

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Stimuleringsfonds Nederlandse Culturele OmroepproductiesElsevier-Vendex Film BeheerAllarts ProductionFilm4 ProductionsVPRO

Production Country : NetherlandsUnited Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Joan Plowright

Character Name : Cissie Colpitts 1

Original Name : Joan Plowright

Gender : Female

Juliet Stevenson

Character Name : Cissie Colpitts 2

Original Name : Juliet Stevenson

Gender : Female

Joely Richardson

Character Name : Cissie Colpitts 3

Original Name : Joely Richardson

Gender : Female

Bernard Hill

Character Name : Madgett

Original Name : Bernard Hill

Gender : Male

Jason Edwards

Character Name : Smut

Original Name : Jason Edwards

Gender : Male

Bryan Pringle

Character Name : Jake

Original Name : Bryan Pringle

Gender : Male

Trevor Cooper

Character Name : Hardy

Original Name : Trevor Cooper

Gender : Male

David Morrissey

Character Name : Bellamy

Original Name : David Morrissey

Gender : Male

John Rogan

Character Name : Gregory

Original Name : John Rogan

Gender : Male

Paul Mooney

Character Name : Teigan

Original Name : Paul Mooney

Gender : Male

Jane Gurnett

Character Name : Nancy

Original Name : Jane Gurnett

Gender : Female

Kenny Ireland

Character Name : Jonah Bognor

Original Name : Kenny Ireland

Gender : Male

Michael Percival

Character Name : Moses Bognor

Original Name : Michael Percival

Gender : Male

Joanna Dickens

Character Name : Mrs. Hardy

Original Name : Joanna Dickens

Gender : Female

Janine Duvitski

Character Name : Marina Bellamy

Original Name : Janine Duvitski

Gender : Female

Michael Fitzgerald

Character Name : Mr. 70 Van Dyke

Original Name : Michael Fitzgerald

Gender : Male

Edward Tudor-Pole

Character Name : Mr. 71 Van Dyke

Original Name : Edward Tudor-Pole

Gender : Male

Natalie Morse

Character Name : The Skipping Girl

Original Name : Natalie Morse

Gender : Female

Arthur Spreckley

Character Name : Sid the Gravedigger

Original Name : Arthur Spreckley

Gender : Male

Ian Talbot

Character Name : The Police Detective

Original Name : Ian Talbot

Gender : Male

Roderic Leigh

Character Name : The Policeman

Original Name : Roderic Leigh

Gender : Male

Vanni Corbellini

Character Name : The Hare

Original Name : Vanni Corbellini

Gender : Male

Jose Berg

Character Name : Skipping Girl's Mother

Original Name : Jose Berg

Gender : Male

Peter Jaques

Character Name : Priest (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Jaques

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-08-09

I actually found this to be one of Peter Greenaway's more accessible films. Though it's still riddled with some surreal imagery that made little, if any, sense to me, it is quite an effective and funny look at the institution of marriage. Now the Colpitts family can't really be accused of having much imagination when it comes to naming their offspring. "Cissie" (Joan Plowright) has "Cissie" (Juliet Stephenson) who has "Cissie (Joely Richardson) and none of these women make matches that they want to endure. There's plenty of philandering going on, so - well use the title as a clue as to just what happens now... This is a strongly characterised drama with three women very much at the top of their game, ably supported by Bernard Hill's rather eccentric "Madgett", that interweaves an intricate serious of - ok, not always the most plausible - sub-plots into a story that's ultimately a revenge comedy. It's a bit on the long side, and it does sag slightly when - I felt, anyway - there is less Plowright on the screen but the dialogue is quickly and pithily delivered, there is loads of rather natural nudity to lend authenticity to the earthiness of the topic and we are left with a powerful assassination of the marriage state and a clear illustration that there are more ways than one to skin a cat (and get away with it!). Michael Nyman has scored this jauntily and together with Sacha Vierny's eclectic style of cinematography, makes this film fun to watch with some deadly undercurrents.