ComedyDramaRomance

The Girl in the Café

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.

Release Date : 2005-06-25

Language :EnglishFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : BBC Cymru WalesHBO FilmsTightrope PicturesBBC

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lawrence

Original Name : Bill Nighy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gina

Original Name : Kelly Macdonald

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sunita

Original Name : Meneka Das

Gender : Female

Character Name : George

Original Name : Anton Lesser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Robert

Original Name : Paul Ritter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chancellor

Original Name : Ken Stott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ruth

Original Name : Penny Downie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hotel Receptionist

Original Name : Damon Younger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Assistant Receptionist

Original Name : Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir

Gender : Female

Character Name : Waitress

Original Name : Marit Velle Kile

Gender : Female

Character Name : French Delegate

Original Name : Philippe De Grossouvre

Gender : Male

Character Name : CNBC Newscaster

Original Name : Louisa Bojesen

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Senior Advisor

Original Name : Christian Rubeck

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Delegate

Original Name : Toshie Ogura

Gender : Male

Character Name : American Senior Adviser

Original Name : Martin McDougall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prime Minister

Original Name : Corin Redgrave

Gender : Male

Character Name : Herr Gerhardt

Original Name : Wolf Kahler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary of the Treasure

Original Name : Madeleine Potter

Gender : Female

Character Name : G8 Delegate

Original Name : Alysha Westlake

Gender : Male

Character Name : Journalist

Original Name : Simon Wilson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary

Original Name : Fran Purcell

Gender : Male

Character Name : G8 Reporter

Original Name : Max Bollinger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Icelandic Waiter

Original Name : Darri Ingolfsson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Russian Finance Minister

Original Name : Peter Rnic

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Waiter

Original Name : Federico Zanni

Gender : Male

Reviews

Peter McGinn

@narrator56

2021-06-23

I have seen this film twice, about ten years apart. It is the sort of quiet film that is wonderful when it is done right, though sometimes you need to be in the mood for them. Bill Nighy as Lawrence gives a strong, understated performance here. The movie description states that his character is lonely and I suppose that is true. But he is lonely in the way that William Hurt is lonely in the classic The Accidental Tourist. Contemplative, leading a quiet existence, but not pathetic or requiring pity. But I also have this image of a man who once might have been excited about his job, his role in bringing about social change for the better, but as a career government employee, now knows that the game is lowered expectations, endless negotiations and much less than perfect results. And just as Geena Davis’s character lights a fire under William Hurt’s finely crafted life in the earlier film, a character with a similar name, Gina, does the same for our Lawrence. She possesses a spark, a fierce idealism That has long since slipped away from Lawrence. She challenges the notion that social justice is something that can be negotiated by politicians, and her energy enlivens Lawrence. The question is, will her enthusiasm and stubborn activist attitude threaten the career that has all but defined Lawrence’s life for many years?