Drowning by Numbers
Release date: 1988-09-10
Votes: 186
Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Three generations of women who seek to murder their husbands share a solidarity for one another which brings about three copy-cat drownings.
Reviews
CinemaSerf
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.
Movie Recommendation
First Cow2020-03-06In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow – the first, and only, in the territory.More...
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover1989-10-13The wife of an abusive criminal finds solace in the arms of a kind regular guest in her husband's restaurant.More...
Decalogue I1989-05-16Krzysztof, a semantics professor and computer hobbyist, is raising his young son, Paweł, to look to science for answers, while Irena, Paweł’s aunt, lives a life rooted in faith. Over the course of one day, both adults are forced to question their belief systems.More...
The Belly of an Architect1987-09-23The American architect Kracklite arrives in Italy, supervising an exhibiton for a French architect, Boullée, famous for his oval structures. Tirelessly dedicated to the project, Kracklite's marriage quickly dissolves along with his health.More...
Hannah Arendt2012-09-11A portrait of the genius that shook the world with her discovery of “the banality of evil.” After she attends the Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s trial in Jerusalem, Arendt dares to write about the Holocaust in terms no one has ever heard before. Her work instantly provokes a furious scandal, and Arendt stands strong as she is attacked by friends and foes alike. But as the German-Jewish émigré also struggles to suppress her own painful associations with the past, the film exposes her beguiling blend of arrogance and vulnerability — revealing a soul defined and derailed by exile.More...
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril1972-12-30Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan, and his son Gunbei.More...
Appointment with Death1988-04-15Emily Boynton, the stepmother to three children, blackmails the family lawyer into destroying a second will of her late husband that would have freed the children from her dominating influence. She takes herself, the children, and her daughter-in-law on holiday to Europe and the Holy Land. At a dig, Emily is found dead and Hercule Poirot investigates.More...
Prospero's Books1991-08-30An exiled magician finds an opportunity for revenge against his enemies muted when his daughter and the son of his chief enemy fall in love in this uniquely structured retelling of the 'The Tempest'.More...
Crazy Desire1962-03-15A middle-aged businessman meets a band of rowdy youths and is smitten by one, named Francesca.More...
Black River1957-10-23A university student moves into an apartment building and becomes involved with a waitress. The landlord then attempts to evict the tenants and sell the building through illicit means.More...
Love Boat2024-06-05To overcome their financial problems, Justine, her husband and their whole group of friends organize a fake romantic cruise for Franck, a big investor, who is trying to seduce a woman.More...
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1958-08-29An alcoholic ex-football player drinks his days away, having failed to come to terms with his sexuality and his real feelings for his football buddy who died after an ambiguous accident. His wife is crucified by her desperation to make him desire her: but he resists the affections of his wife. His reunion with his father—who is dying of cancer—jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.More...
The Color of Money1986-10-17Former pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent's showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.More...
The Blackout2019-11-21Contact between most towns on Earth has been severed. A small ring-like area in Eastern Europe still has electricity, and maybe even life is being reported from space. What military forces find outside the ring is shocking.More...
Freaks1932-01-01A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.More...
La Belle Époque2019-11-06Victor, a disillusioned 60-something whose marriage is on the rocks, opts to relive the week of his life when, 40 years earlier, he met his true love through a company that allows customers to return to the time period of their choosing.More...
Midnight Express1978-08-31Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express".More...
Inside Llewyn Davis2013-10-18In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.More...
Coherence2014-04-06Four couples gather for dinner the night a mysterious and powerful comet passes overhead.More...
Annie Hall1977-04-19New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall.More...
Similar Movies
Wellbeing Assessment
2025-01-26Young employee Devon meets with his superior Jack for a company mandated Wellbeing Assessment.The Hours
2002-12-27The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.Trainspotting
1996-02-23Heroin addict Mark Renton stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends --Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane, along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind as Begbie and Sick Boy come knocking.Life Is Beautiful
1997-12-20A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.A Clockwork Orange
1971-10-28In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven. The state, eager to crack down on juvenile crime, gives an incarcerated Alex the option to undergo an invasive procedure that'll rob him of all personal agency. In a time when conscience is a commodity, can Alex change his tune?To Be or Not to Be
1942-03-06During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.In China They Eat Dog...
1999-09-10Arvid is an ordinary bank clerk who lives a rather unassuming life with his dear girlfriend. But his life is turned completely upside down when he bravely manages to avert a robbery against the bank where he works.Beast with a Budget
2019-10-31A documentary crew follows the exploits of an up and coming indie filmmaker as he attempts to win an Oscar with his second feature film, leading to all sorts of wacky hi-jinks with his oddball cast and crew.M*A*S*H
1970-02-18The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and hijinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war.The Tin Drum
1979-05-02In 1924, Oskar Matzerath is born in the Free City of Danzig. At age three, he falls down a flight of stairs and stops growing. In 1939, World War II breaks out.Oldboy
2003-11-21With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.Shaun of the Dead
2004-04-09Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.Bad Grandmas
2017-11-03Four grandmothers accidentally kill a conman and, to cover it up, they get rid of the body. When the conman's partner shows up, things go south.Afternoon Class
2015-09-18Drowsiness washes over me during the afternoon class. My head gets heavier as I try to stay awake in an afternoon class.Candy Apple
2024-01-13Life takes a sour turn for a corrupt politician when he crosses the wrong people.A Man Walks Into a Ba...
No data for this movieA man walks into a bar, the start of a bad joke with an even worse pun? or a cautionary tail that tells us, don't tempt fate.........just don't.Fear and Loathing in ...
1998-05-22Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.BAD SURVIVOR
2025-02-20After being "broken up with" by her oncologists, a sarcastic young cancer patient — or should I say survivor — struggles to adjust to life at home with her multicultural family during her first day in remission. www.badsurvivor.comAtlanta
1996-07-19A 12 year-old Olympic swimmer and her mother (both played by July) speak to the public about “going for the gold”.Bomb Scared
2017-12-08Somewhere in Spain, four ETA terrorists await a phone call before carrying out a mission, while the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Spanish soccer team is one of the favorites to win, is being held in South Africa.