The Grotesque (film)
| The Grotesque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John-Paul Davidson |
| Produced by |
Stephen Evans John Kay Trudie Styler |
| Written by |
Patrick McGrath (novel and screenplay) |
| Starring |
Alan Bates Lena Headey Theresa Russell Sting |
| Music by | Anne Dudley |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Edited by | Tariq Anwar |
| Distributed by | Live Entertainment (U.S.) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Grotesque (also known as Grave Indiscretion and Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets) is a 1995 British film by John-Paul Davidson, adapted from the 1989 novel of the same name 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.
Plot
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?
Cast
- Alan Bates as Sir Hugo Coal
- Theresa Russell as Lady Harriet Coal
- Sting as Fledge
- Lena Headey as Cleo Coal
- Jim Carter as George Lecky
- Anna Massey as Mrs. Giblet
- Trudie Styler as Doris
- Maria Aitken as Lavinia Freebody
- James Fleet as Inspector Limp
- Steven Mackintosh as Sidney Giblet
- John Mills as Sir Edward Cleghorn
- Annette Badland as Connie Babblehump
- Bob Goody as Father Pim
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.