The Meter Reader (Il Verificatore)

Running time: N/A

Crescenzio is 33-years-old, works for the gas company reading meters, still lives with his dysfunctional family, has no friends and on top of it all, his obesity attracts shouts of "Fatso!" from passing cars. He is in love with Giuliana who does not reciprocate his love. Guiliana works at a electronic repair shop as a secretary, and her boss is a violent and corrupt old man. Crescenzio's brother, Benjamine, also works at the repair shop and has an almost entirely opposite personality as Crescenzio. All three of them have their own problems with their own ways of dealing with them, but now things are beginning to change, and each person's own problems are starting to become the burden of all three. Emerging from the list of filmmakers termed "the Neapolitan new wave", director Stefano Incerti creates a haunting story of loneliness and alienation set against the backdrop of a somber Naples, Italy. Blending a unique, visual style with strong, three-dimensional characters, Incerti presents a captivating narrative of love, betrayal and brutal reality which will mesmerize you from the first frame to the last. -- Mike Rabehl