The Cement Garden

Although Ian McEwan is these days held to be the greatest living English writer, there was a time when McEwan was an altogether darker creature, fashioning novels like... more >

Although Ian McEwan is these days held to be the greatest living English writer, there was a time when McEwan was an altogether darker creature, fashioning novels like The Cement Garden in which a somewhat dysfunctional family give rise to sibling incest.

Andrew Birkin’s brooding and brilliant adaptation of this book, first released in 1994, is well worth a look, as there are so many things he gets absolutely spot on: from the sensuous, lingering camera eye (the dripping tap, the ants burrowing up through the crack in the concrete) to the terrific performances he draws from his cast (a young Charlotte Gainsbourg in particular), here is a movie adaptation created by someone who quite patently got the book.

If your only knowledge of Ian McEwan is Atonement, as good as Atonement is, you really need to check out The Cement Garden. Not only is it very simply a great movie, it will provide slightly outré conversational fodder for the next dinner party you throw… < less

View all 55 of Peter Wild’s reviews

Infanity, incest, perversions...Seems cannot make a movie attractive but he made it! Andrew Birkin's The Cement Garden worth watching 'cos the story could happen to yo... more >

Infanity, incest, perversions...Seems cannot make a movie attractive but he made it! Andrew Birkin's The Cement Garden worth watching 'cos the story could happen to your neighbour or to your relative! Don get hesitated when something happens, act! Or you'll find yourself in that situation when there are no borders dividing you from an animal. Be human!
It is dirty but if you are not sticky it is great! < less

Ratings for this DVD

Average Rating
Log in to place your vote!

Film Details

Cast

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sinead Cusack, Andrew Robertson

Technical Details