The Embalmer (2002)
"L'imbalsamatore" (original title)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Matteo Garrone

Writers:

Ugo Chiti (story), Massimo Gaudioso (story),

Stars:

Ernesto Mahieux, Valerio Foglia Manzillo, Elisabetta Rocchetti

6 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ernesto Mahieux	...	Peppino Profeta
Valerio Foglia Manzillo	...	Valerio
Elisabetta Rocchetti	...	Deborah
Lina Bernardi	...	Deborah's Mother
Pietro Biondi	...	Deborah's Father
Bernardino Terracciano	...	Boss
Marcella Granito	...	Manuela
Giuseppe Arena	...	Workshop's Owner
Vincenzo Puocci	...	Gangbanger #1
Renato Puocci	...	Gangbanger #2
Valentino Puocci	...	Gangbanger #3
Antonella Lori	...	Boss's Wife
Aldo Leonardi	...	Deborah's Boss
Nadia Carlomagno	...	Peppino's Friend #1
Rita Brugnoli	...	Peppino's Friend #2

Storyline

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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Plot Keywords:

nudity | based on fact | gay | female nudity | oral sex | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

6 September 2002 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Taxidermist

Filming Locations:

Castel Volturno, Caserta, Campania, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,313 (USA) (18 July 2003)

Gross:

$55,606 (USA) (19 December 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fandango, Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (MiBAC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Peppino torna a Cremona"
Written and performed by Banda Osiris

User Reviews

a fix for not feeling lonely

A neat little gem, this movie. Not the greatest, but yet, approaches with a careful plot, the relationships between several people. Shot in outdoor location of Castel Volturno, a grayish wintery concrete condominium on the coast between Rome and Naples, and using direct sound and not the usual studio-added dialogues, it gives an immediate feel and support for the main character, Peppino, who, feeling lonely, convinces a young man to follow him into his trade of taxidermy. Peppino is a virtuoso in establishing relationships, and like a magician, he moves his hands and talks big without really revealing much, and gets the young man's attention. It reminded me a bit of "L.I.E.". Would love to see the actor and Danny de Vito in a movie together.