Synopsis
Peppino is an aging taxidermist constantly ridiculed for being short and somewhat creepy. He meets Valerio, a handsome young man fascinated by Peppino's work. Peppino, in turn, becomes entranced by Valerio and offers him a large salary to come work as his assistant. But when Valerio meets Deborah, their fledgling romance is threatened by an insanely jealous third wheel.
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Cast
- Ernesto MahieuxPeppino Profeta
- Valerio Foglia ManzilloValerio
- Elisabetta RocchettiDeborah
- Lina BernardiDeborah's Mother
- Pietro BiondiDeborah's Father
- Marcella GranitoManuela
- Giuseppe ArenaWorkshop's Owner
- Bernardino TerraccianoBoss
- Vincenzo PuocciGangbanger #1
- Valentino PuocciGangbanger #3
Recommendations
- 80
Village Voice
Skillfully directed and adroitly acted. - 80
Washington Post
Garrone's movie finds a disconcerting niche between edgy character thriller and black comedy. - 80
Variety
Director Matteo Garrone's measured approach and soulfully humane focus combine to dignify the characters, allowing the tale of solitude, longing and sorrow to inch quietly under the viewer's skin. - 80
Washington Post
A bummer, but one that manages to stick to its depraved convictions until the strange and bitter end. - 75
New York Daily News
At moments, the story skirts uncomfortably close to the grotesque. But this atmospheric oddity delivers a surprisingly sensitive take on the overwhelming ache of loneliness. - 75
Christian Science Monitor
Mahieux gives a bravura performance as the title character. Director Garrone keeps the story involving even though it doesn't quite live up to the star's strong talents. - 75
New York Post
Director and co-writer Matteo Garrone infuses The Embalmer with a spooky eroticism. The film is dark, both in theme and visual composition. - 70
TV Guide Magazine
An effectively macabre and fiendishly entertaining tale of lust, unrequited love and the fine art of taxidermy.
