Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

jillmillenniumgirllevin It's possible to be right -- and subtly to miss the point. The reviewers are right who complain that the love story sits uneasily with the sermon, and that the sermon itself is banal. But these complaints pale before the phenomenon that is Bill Nighy. Has anyone, anywhere ever given a more wrenching account of loneliness? Nighy underplays as usual: we learn more about his empty life from his subtlest and most fleeting expression than we would from pages of dialogue. That Gina means well -- but devastates Lawrence -- is her sad and, yes, selfish function in the film, which makes the title true and cuttingly ironic: as the girl in the cafe, Gina offers the hope of a connection she can't sustain. His reward? Loneliness piled upon loneliness. Ours? The chance to watch a brilliant actor give an indelible account of a disease endemic in the affluent West: disconnection and the death of hope.

Desertman84 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.

Neil Turner This little gem of a movie is a good example of the value of cable networks such as HBO in providing superior entertainment that would never, ever be produced by the huge studios. These films are not just television dramas. They are high-quality motion pictures in every sense of the word.There is a charming, albeit unbelievable, story behind this film. Bill Nighy plays a painfully shy financial adviser to a high-ranking British diplomat who is involved in the preparation for the latest G8 Summit to take place in Iceland. Nighy's character, Lawrence, shares a table with a somewhat enigmatic young woman, Gina, in a café. He is immediately fascinated by her appearance and overcomes his shyness by striking up a conversation. Gina is no conversationalist, but Lawrence continues to be enthralled.Going against what we can assume is his usual behavior with the opposite sex, Lawrence calls Gina and begins a continuing friendship. This leads to his invitation to accompany him to the summit.Gina is a "fish out of water" amongst the diplomats and their spouses. She is not socially inept, but she states her opinions - most of which are contrary to the political machinations of the participants at the summit. What could be worse in a group of diplomats as a person who actually speaks bare-faced truths? This, of course, leads to conflict for Lawrence - he agrees with Gina but is obligated to support his superiors.Scottish actor, Kelly Macdonald gives a beautifully restrained performance as Gina. Even at the end of the film, you are not sure you fully understand this young woman. This, of course, is an element of the script, but Macdonald makes you believe that it would take a long while to come to a full understanding of Gina and her background.Lawrence is highly intelligent and possesses a wry sense of humor, but it is almost painful to witness his insecurity. Bill Nighy is dead-on in his personification of this complex character. Nighy's body is tall and thin with bones that seem to be very loosely connected. He uses his physicality to advantage in his portrayal of Lawrence. Some of his best acting in the film is in the scenes in which we watch the movements of this man who is so insecure and shy. Nighy often has Lawrence move in an almost contorted fashion to emphasize his insecurity.The Girl in the Café is a quiet, entertaining pleasure and one that is surely worthy of an hour and a half or anyone's time.

jande9 This movie is a gem. It starts off on a simple premise, a shy older man meeting equally shy young woman, and having them slowly and painfully develop a relationship. You learn a lot about the older man, but the young woman is a mystery, her character unrevealed, but half way through the movie she starts to assert herself, and her character then comes out and takes the movie on a completely unexpected direction.Lawrence is so shy and awkward he is almost a parody but Bill Nighy manages to present the character in an open and expressive way that is believable and interesting. So many of these types of characters are presented as repressed, which stifles the actor and makes the character less attractive but Lawrence honestly and openly shows his inner turmoil which makes the character very appealing.Gina is also shy, but as presented by Kelly Macdonald there is much more than that going on. She seems to be in pain, and her shyness is mixed with fear. Her vulnerability enhances her attractiveness, and Lawrence cannot stop thinking about her. We never quite find out why she is attracted to him, but the attraction between the two characters is strong and believable, and forms the core of this movie.As is usual in movies from the UK, the supporting roles are not just simple stereotypes but fully formed complex characters giving the actors who play them a lot to work with, and they all succeed in beautifully bringing all these characters to life.If you like your movies simple, well written, beautifully acted, you will enjoy this. I really enjoyed it. I hope the producer does a sequel because I would like to spend some more time with Gina and Lawrence.