Valentin (2002)

VALENTIN has won the coveted Audience Award at the Newport International Film Festival (2003), the Golden Calf Award at the Netherlands Film Festival (2002), and seven Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards (2004) including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. In VALENTIN, a precocious and imaginative 8-year-old boy named Valentin is raised by his grandmother. He dreams of becoming an astronaut and spends his time developing space suits made from whatever materials he can find. He also dreams of having a normal family and misses his mother, who abandoned him. During a visit from his father, he finds out about his father's current girlfriend, Leticia. Valentin asks to meet her with the hope that she will become his mother. This encounter between Valentin and Leticia opens up old secrets but also creates an opportunity that Valentin just can't pass up.

Don't be misled by bad marketing. This is a great film about a small boy.

First, I would like to say that I resisted "Valentin" for years because of the poster - a cute little boy and the tag line, "Cupid just turned 8." I imagined it to be an Argentine version of "Sleepless in Seattle." I guess Miramax thought it would be a stronger "sell" to international audiences. Personally, I thought it sounded cloying and therefore avoided the film. Now that I've seen "Valentin", I realize the scene that tag relates to takes up less than one percent of the film. The original tag line for the movie is: "Para volver a vivir aquellas pequeñas cosas que eran tan grandes cuando fuiste chico" which means something like "In order to relive those little things that were so big when you were small." Now you have a better idea of what you're getting.

Valentin is a little boy who feels like he has big problems; and he's not really wrong. His parents divorced and he was sent to live with his grandparents. Now his grandfather has died and his grandmother is lonely and sad all the time. Although he loves his grandmother, Valentin wishes for a more normal life with young, loving parents. Instead he has a distant father with a hair trigger temper. His father doesn't come by too often but each time he does it's to raise and dash his son's hopes by introducing yet another girlfriend by saying, "this may be your new mother." Valentin hasn't seen his own mother since he was three years old, and barely remembers her. His knowledge of his mother come almost exclusively from the hateful things his father and grandmother say about her.

These are the sort of things that weigh heavily on a child and shape the kind of adult he will become. Through some bitter experiences, Valentin exhibits a child's strength and ability to cope. Although it amazes a lot of adults, kids can be pretty good about figuring out ways to thrive.

This is the story of a thoughtful child; when he makes a carefully considered observation about his feelings it can be very moving. This film excels at showing real humanity. There is neglect and abuse, but also tenderness and love. Sometimes they just don't come from the sources you'd expect. This is a film for those who are more interested in humanity than in FX.

This DVD has a very nice interview with the director, Alejandro Agresti, in English This is the story of his own childhood and he proves more than capable of getting the actors to convey the spirit he's trying to get across. There is a theatrical trailer for the film, also in English. The movie itself is in Spanish with less than optimal English subtitles. If you rely on subtitles you will lose a lot of the humor and subtlety of the film, but it's still very good!

One more thing, the music is excellent but uncredited. If you like the music, look for Luis Alberto Spinetta and his first band, Almendra (Almendra). A couple songs used in notable scenes in the film are "Color Humana" and "Laura Va".

Highly recommended. July 27, 2008

Great Movie!

This movie is awesome. The story is really moving, entertaining, well written and well directed. The soundtrack is amazing, especially when they play Almendra (one of the best, most mythical bands!). It has Julieta Cardinali, and she is awesome. The actor who plays the kid is also amazing. February 22, 2008

Lost in translation

An amazing film with an amazing child actor. Everyone else who reviewed this film already spoke of the plot, so I will skip over it. Indeed, you'll fall in love with Valentin. Unfortunately, the child's humour and incredible maturity (especially in his voice-over narration as the film progresses) are completely lost in a shabby subtitling that only gives you a gist of what he expresses. Because I am originally from Argentina and, after 25 years in the US speak English fluently, I was extremely saddened to see that a better subtitling job could make you fall in love with Valentin three times harder. I want to share this film with many close to me, but I would spend most of the time having to add much to the loss in translation. August 29, 2007

what a wonderful and profound film

lonely childhood with a broken family. simply told story, maybe cliched in lot of ways but at the same time in a very unique way to tell. the loneliness of this little boy touched and moved me deeply. making him wear magnifying glasses to adjust his little out-of-focus cross eyes is one of the unnecessary cliched touches like what we saw in 'everything is illuminated', but it's a very nice touch by all means. this is a very very good little film out of spain, not a drop of commercial junk like what the hollywood winos would inappropriately do to a movie like this. the sound track is also very subtle, very compatible with the mood of the little boy's feelings. a triumphant nice contribution to the movie civilization. very much appreciated. May 2, 2007

Don't Miss This One if you Like "Independent" human drama films

This film is about an 8 y/o boy named Valentin who is being raised by his grandmother. His mother left the marriage when he was young and his father is trying to find a new wife/love, by using his son to attract new girlfriends. This is such a wonderful movie. I hesitate to say cute, because people sometimes think childish, but it is smart, thought-provoking and really seems to be written through the eyes of this child. He is an intelligent child and tries to solve the surrounding adult's problems. His grandmother is a pool of complaints and negativity, but her love for her grandson does occasionally shine through. It makes you wonder if Valentin could be so well adjusted, but children ARE resilient. The movie builds up the characters and the story is leisurely told. The meetings between Valentin and Leticia (his father's latest girlfriend) are very sweet...you just hope everything works out because they are so great together. Great human drama movie, thoroughly enjoyable and recommended. October 1, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...