The King of Laughter

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The King of Laughter

2022

2h 13m

Biography

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

46%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Naples, 1904: Eduardo Scarpetta risked everything by staging a parody of the great Italian poet, Gabriele D'Annunzio. Despite legal troubles and familial strife, Scarpetta fought for his legacy as one of the greats of Italian theater.

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Anna Smith

Deadline Hollywood Daily

09/13/2021

Figuring out the exact nature of all their relationships has a certain fascination, but it's not exactly entertaining. The dialogue feels mannered and Scarpetta's actions are so selfish and pompous they become irritating.

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Lovia Gyarkye

The Hollywood Reporter

09/10/2021

It's a dazzling and technically brilliant feat, the work of an ambitious, experienced and passionate director.

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Guy Lodge

Variety

09/10/2021

Commits without compromise to its driving conceit: that Scarpetta's personal life was as wildly expressive and uninhibited as his stage presence, to the extent that they're not all that differently presented on-screen.

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Alejandro Lingenti

La Nación (Argentina)

12/27/2023

3/5

Toni Servillo embodies this complex character, deploying a great variety of resources: he is funny, intriguing, seductive, or gloomy as each moment of the story demands. [Full review in Spanish]

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Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

12/20/2023

2.5/5

A film of these characteristics may be of greater interest to Italians or those very initiated into its history. For the rest... we'll have to cope in the best way possible with Servillo's buffoonish and hammy delivery. [Full review in Spanish]

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

11/28/2022

3/5

Servillo has spent much of the latter part of his career playing narcissistic characters, and he’s perfectly cast here.

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Claudio V

@RT95406744 10/12/2023

Un grande biopic che mostra la superlativa dote creativa di un genio partenopeo ma al contempo tutti i suoi difetti come uomo/marito/padre. Spettacolare Tony Servillo e rivelazione Eduardo Scarpetta.

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Mario Martone

Director

Toni Servillo

Actor

Maria Nazionale

Actor

Cristiana Dell'Anna

Actor

Antonia Truppo

Actor

Eduardo Scarpetta

Actor

The King of Laughter: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Naples, 1904: Eduardo Scarpetta risked everything by staging a parody of the great Italian poet, Gabriele D'Annunzio. Despite legal troubles and familial strife, Scarpetta fought for his legacy as one of the greats of Italian theater.

Director: Mario Martone
Screenwriter: Mario Martone, Ippolita Di Majo, Mario Martone, Ippolita Di Majo
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: RAI Cinema, Indigo Film
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 25, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2022
Runtime: 2h 13m