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The Cement Garden

Play trailer Poster for The Cement Garden 1993 1h 45m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Soon after the death of their father (Hanns Zischler), teen siblings Julie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and Jack (Andrew Robertson) lose their ailing mother (Sinead Cusack), who's dying wish is to see the family remain together. Needing a source of income to keep the household running, Julie and Jack hide their mother's corpse, live off of her savings and care for their younger siblings themselves. However, the relationship between Julie and Jake soon begins to take a dark, sexual turn.

Critics Reviews

View All (12) Critics Reviews
Nick De Semlyen Empire Magazine It deals with the equally stark topic of incest with delicacy and poetic elegance, always aware of where its boundaries lie. Rated: 4/5 Oct 22, 2024 Full Review John Powers New York Magazine/Vulture A slow, queasy adaptation of Ian McEwan's brisk, queasy novel of the same title. Dec 31, 2019 Full Review Sheila Johnston Independent (UK) The four young actors, by whom it stands or falls, deliver impressively, in particular Robertson and Gainsbourg. Nov 14, 2017 Full Review Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant it works much less compellingly than the novel, which goes out into the world - though the young actors reasonably approximate the characters in the book. Jun 6, 2018 Full Review Quentin Curtis Independent on Sunday Birkin, who wrote the film as well as directed it, has stuck close to the original -- the sort of spare, atmospheric novella that adapts well to the screen. Dec 7, 2017 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com A very engaging drama based on Ian McEwan's novel. Rated: 4/5 Nov 7, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (94) audience reviews
Audience Member FAMILIE HÄLT ZUSAMMEN, ABER SO? Nach dem Tod ihres Vaters verkommt die Familie um Jack immer mehr. Er als 16. Jähriger hört weder auf seine Mutter noch seine große Schwester, seine kleinen Geschwister mag er zu dem auch kaum. Am liebsten spielt er an sich selbst herum und faulenzt den ganzen Tag. Doch nach einem weiteren Schicksalsschlag müssen die Geschwister zusammenhalten, oder ihr größtes Geheimnis kommt ans Licht. Der Zementgarten von 1993 geht ca. 105 Minuten und ist ab 16 Jahren freigegeben. Wir haben hier eine Buchverfilmung in der es sich um Verlust, Geschwisterliebe und Coming-of-Age dreht. Hauptprotagonist ist Jack, der gerade in dem Alter ist wo man auf nix Lust hat und als Junge hauptsächlich seinen Körper entdeckt. Seine Mutter bittet ihn zwar sich nicht ständig anzufassen, da sein Körper ständig 1 Liter Blut neu produzieren muss, aber das schreckt einen Teenager mit Hormonen ja nicht ab. Die Handlung dreht sich um das Familienleben sowie ihrem "schäbigen" zu Hause. Wir sehen dabei zu wie die Kinder ohne Eltern sich organisieren und mit ihren Gefühlen klar kommen müssen. Wie etwa Jack der seine große Schwester Julie anziehend findet, die macht es ihm zu dem auch schwer wenn sie im Rock einen Handstand macht. Der kleine der Familie Tom will etwa ein Mädchen sein, doch nicht weil er Transvestiet oder sonst was ist, sondern weil Jungs verhauen werden und Mädchen eben nicht. Super gemacht. Die knisternde Erotik die permanent in der Luft liegt gipfelt im Finale als Julie ihren Freund Derek mit bringt. Einem erfolgreichen 33 Jahren alten Unternehmer, der das schockierende Geheimnis herausfindet mit umgesehenen Folgen für alle. Am Ende bleibt ein Werk das interessant umgesetzt ist, da die Charaktere alle das gewisse Etwas haben und auch die Thematik mit "Geschwisterliebe" hier auf die Spitze getrieben wird. Zu gleich werden Themen wie Erwachsenwerden und Sexualität mit einem charmanten Hauch serviert. Von mir bekommt der Film 7/10 Punkten. Prüde, Vorurteile und der erhobene Zeigefinger, über all das kümmern sich Kinder nicht die Erwachsenen werden. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/21/24 Full Review Cristina B A film slightly glamourising incest, not to sugar coat it. The horror of death contrasted with British 1980s suburbia is perfectly done, with lots of arty shots of cement and plants really driving home the nature vs. society theme. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/24/23 Full Review david f This is a slow and patient adaptation of a quirky novel about an unusual family. The acting, atmosphere, and story are all wonderful, and you are drawn into this odd family in the film just as you are in the novel. I think this is an exemplary adaptation of a work of literature. It really stays true to the novel and even builds on some of the ideas and themes and devices that were in the novel. An example: in the novel, Jack is given a novel by his sister Sue, "Voyage to Oblivion", and there are a few quotes and a plot summary that relate to Jack and his outlook. But in the movie there are much longer quotes from the Science Fiction pulp fiction novel which are an amusing satire on Science Fiction as well as being a novel-within-a-novel that can illuminate Jack, the reader and fan of the book. This is a great movie for the art house and it made a striking impression on me when I first saw it in the 1990s, put on by one of the local film societies like the Ann Arbor Film Cooperative or a similar group, I believe in Lorch Hall. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A good example of what works on the page not always working on screen. I found the whole film felt a little bit ridiculous and try-hard whereas the book it's based on is quite dark and atmospheric. Quite an unusual film though nevertheless. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member creepy & twisted dysfunctional family Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Julie: Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots, because it's OK to be a boy, but for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, because you think that being a girl is degrading. But secretly you'd love to know what it's like, wouldn't you? What it feels like for a girl? Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Cement Garden

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Soon after the death of their father (Hanns Zischler), teen siblings Julie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and Jack (Andrew Robertson) lose their ailing mother (Sinead Cusack), who's dying wish is to see the family remain together. Needing a source of income to keep the household running, Julie and Jack hide their mother's corpse, live off of her savings and care for their younger siblings themselves. However, the relationship between Julie and Jake soon begins to take a dark, sexual turn.
Director
Andrew Birkin
Producer
Bee Gilbert, Ene Vanaveski
Screenwriter
Andrew Birkin
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Box Office (Gross USA)
$23.4K
Runtime
1h 45m