Drowning by Numbers
Cissie Colpitts drowns her cheating husband and, in the ensuing cover-up, enlists the help of lonely coroner Henry Madgett, an old friend with a longstanding weakness for her charms. But when Cissie's daughter and granddaughter—both also named Cissie Colpitts—decide to resort to the same methods for solving conflicts with their own frustrating husbands, the women and their repeated appeals for help begin to wear on Madgett's conscience.
Director(s)
Peter Greenaway
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Cast & Crew
Details
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.
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Drowning by Numbers FAQs
Peter Greenaway is the director of Drowning by Numbers.
The cast of Drowning by Numbers includes Bernard Hill as Henry Madgett, Juliet Stevenson as Cissie Colpitts (Daughter), Arthur Spreckley as Sid the Gravedigger, David Morrissey as Bellamy, Joan Plowright as Cissie Colpitts, Janine Duvitski as Marina Bellamy, Kenny Ireland as Jonah Bognor, Bryan Pringle as Jake, Edward Tudor-Pole as Mr. 71 Van Dyke, Joely Richardson as Cissie Colpitts (Granddaughter), Jane Gurnett as Nancy, Jason Edwards as Smut, and more.
The duration of Drowning by Numbers is 1h 59 mins.
Yes. You can watch the Drowning by Numbers trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
You can watch Drowning by Numbers on Philo (Subscription), Night Flight Plus (Subscription), Fandor Amazon Channel (Subscription), FlixFling (Subscription), Eternal Family (Subscription), Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel (Subscription), Hoopla (Free), Fawesome (Free), Amazon Video (Rent), Google Play Movies (Rent), YouTube (Rent), Fandango At Home (Rent), FlixFling (Rent), Amazon Video (Buy), Google Play Movies (Buy), YouTube (Buy), Fandango At Home (Buy), Cineverse (Ads), Midnight Pulp (Ads), and Tubi TV (Ads). Check this Fanbiz page for the latest platforms.
Drowning by Numbers was released on 10 Sep 1988.
Drowning by Numbers is listed under Comedy, Crime, and Drama on Fanbiz.
Drowning by Numbers has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 7.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "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 quit..."
