The Girl in the Café (2005)

One of my all time favorites.

Just perfect...

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Twee. Too self-conscious for its own good. Couldn't finish.

The Girl in the Café is a British TV movie that stars Bill Nighy as Lawrence, a mild and unprepossessing British civil servant and Kelly MacDonald as Gina,a young woman whom Lawrence has met in a café.It was written by Richard Curtis and directed by David Yates.The film tells the story of Lawrence, a civil servant working for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who falls in love with Gina, a young woman whom he meets by chance in a London café. Lawrence takes Gina to a G8 summit in Reykjavík, Iceland, where she confronts the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom over the issue of third world debt and poverty in Africa, much to Lawrence's embarrassment and the anger of his employers. However, he realizes that she is right and tries to help persuade the Chancellor and others at the summit to do something about the issues concerned.The burgeoning relationship between these two seemingly mismatched souls is obscured by egomania, xenophobia, and foot-dragging. Ultimately, the time comes when both Lawrence and Gina must make crucial decisions, with not only their own future but also the future of humankind in the balance.This is one fun and entertaining film about life, love and most amazingly how one person can make a difference in the world. Also,it has a lot of laughs and a great message about the present times.And most of all, Nighy and Macdonald have never been better than in their work here as they carry the film effectively.

Middle-aged Lawrence (Bill Nighy) is a withdrawn but highly-placed number cruncher in the UK government who lives a miserably isolated life. One day, he shares a café table with Gina (Kelly Macdonald), an equally-shy, twenty-something young woman and the two strike up an awkward conversation. One thing leads to another and she ends up accompanying Lawrence to the G8 conference in Iceland, where the world's leaders will probably, as usual, ignore the devastating problem of world poverty.Directed by David Yates, this is wonderful BBC movie is equal parts drama, romance, and a serious call to action regarding world hunger. Ever the numbers-man, Lawrence is full of horrifying statistics concerning the horrors of poverty, the most important being 'one person dies every three seconds.' Gina takes the problem to heart and causes quite a stir at the G8. Nighy and Macdonald give touching performances, reflecting the torment of loneliness and also the need to stand up for what is morally right.I highly recommend this very thoughtful film. As much as I enjoyed the acting, I was also moved by the message that one person can make a difference. A star-studded appeal for help in the fight against world poverty is included in the DVD extras.

I had heard some good things about this film and happened to see it at my local library so I picked it up. It was even better than I had heard. The script and acting in this film are remarkable. Richard Curtis is always good (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones adaptations, Love Actually, et al.) and this movie does not disappoint at all in its writing. It's an amazing blend of humor and poignancy, insecurity and gravity. But it's the parts where nothing is being spoken that are most amazing here, and I give Curtis and Yates equal credit for knowing when to let the actors own the roles. And boy do they own them. Kelly MacDonald was incredible, and rightly deserved the Emmy for her role. She says so much just in her face, without ever opening her mouth. You absolutely feel her sorrow just watching her -- her eyes, her mouth, her posture. This is full body acting (no pun intended). But I must say Bill Nighy is even better. The way he walks, the way his hands, at rest, have two fingers slightly extended. His loneliness, insecurity and doubt take physical form with him. He squirms in an uncomfortable moment and you can see his mental anguish as he tries in vain to work out what to do. It's just astonishing acting. I think I was even more impressed with him since I know him mostly from being the creepy villain in Blade and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3, and the irreverent, washed-up rock star in Love Actually. I give him more props for pulling off this vastly different character in light of those other roles. I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves a good script and good acting. The story's pretty good too. Clever and inspiring without being too preachy or excessively anti-American (as it very well could have been). For the love of good film-making, see this movie.