The Undertaker (I) (2005) User Reviews

Don't watch this late at night

[imbd-118 · 6/10 · 27 July 2006]

This short film was shown on BBC last night, and it just so happens that we were having thunderstorms which always creates an oppressive atmosphere. I didn't set out to watch it, but as Rhys Ifans is usually interesting I decided to stick with it. You might expect from the summary that its about romance developing in the most unlikely of settings. But really it focuses more on the undertakers own views on life and death. The girl asks all the morbid questions you're average teenager would want to know, but who of course would rarely get the opportunity. You would usually think of a undertaker as being a consummate professional - able to distance himself from the nature of his work. Often, they seem refreshingly balanced, and usually cheerful. My own experience of undertakers was when one came to visit my grandmother after my grandfather passed away. But this was a lady, who was exceedingly friendly and polite. However, the character in this film was quite superstitious and I found his response to the girl's questions genuinely unnerving. Although you wonder that deep down, anyone in that situation would not feel much the same way. He's only human. This film seems to play on your morbid fears, and ultimately the fear of death - and there being nothing after. But the story concludes in a way that would chill anyone to the bone...

Nice atmosphere but little else

[bob the moo · 4 August 2006]

When a mother and daughter come into his business to arrange the funeral of their father, the undertaker agrees to go out for a drink with the daughter, who seems to have accepted the loss of her father and is dealing with it very well. After a few drinks though, she asks to see the body before the funeral and together they return to his parlour. As he talks about death and his beliefs as an undertaker though, something is happening.

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to make of this short film. When I saw it, it was screened in a slot that most short films would kill for – evening on BBC2 following a prime evening drama slot and I was expecting a lot from it. The film opens well with a good atmosphere and gradual buildup which appears to be going somewhere. However I must confess that it ended in a way that I found unsatisfactory and lacking substance. As director, Penhall has delivered a real good tone to the film that is rather foreboding and dark but as writer he doesn't seem sure how to deliver whatever it is he was trying to do or say. Perhaps I am the thick one (I hope I am) because maybe I just missed it but I must admit that the style was the all here.

Considering this the cast actually do reasonably well. Ifans drives the film forward with a weird performance that suits his character. He is the heart of the film and it is a shame that the style and atmosphere is given priority over him. He is ably supported by Press and Peake-Jones although the most memorable appearance will be from Hunt – although again it would have been nice to have the film making more of it.

Overall this is an interesting short film in terms of style and atmosphere and in these ways Penhall works well. However as writer it would have helped to have brought more out of the film and to have been a bit more obvious or well-developed.