Une nuit avec Sabrina Love

This is a little snapshot of life in modern Argentina, telling a universal story: the encounters of a young man with the various faces of life, love, sex and death.

Daniel, a 17 year old boy, wins a letter writing contest and gets to spend one night with his idol, pornstar Sabrina Love. For this occasion he travels to Buenos Aires, where he stays at his brother's apartment until he settles a date with Sabrina.

This is somewhat of a roadmovie, moving from the Argentine country to the city and back. Daniel takes some important steps during this trip, which is portrayed in a very warm, sincere way. Even though it does not dig very deep, if you submit yourself to it, you can enjoy the Argentine scenery and the wonderful characters Daniel meets. At some points there have been made very harsh jumps in between scenes, due to lack of time or money (???) but don't let that spoil the fun.

Directed by Alejandro Agresti and based on the novel from 1998 of the same name by Pedro Mairal, Una noche con Sabrina Love is a coming-of-age that follows 17-year-old Daniel Montero (Tomás Fonzi) winning a contest to spend a night with Sabrina Love (Cecilia Roth), an adult film star he watches every night on television. Daniel lives in Curuguazú, Entre Rios, and will have to travel to Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, to claim his prize. In doing so, he finds himself the protagonist of his own adventure. Whether that is navigating the dangerous routes to la ciudad de la furia, where criminals abound, meeting people from all walks of life, or seeing his older brother again, an experience he will not forget awaits young Daniel.

Daniel cannot avoid being excited about his trip. As someone living in a small town with the prospect of working in a factory his whole life, his existence is characterized by being perfunctory and dull. His desire to be with Sabrina, coupled with his inexperience, serves as a platform for self-growth. His trip offers different encounters with characters that will teach him something.

Alejandro Agresti's feature offers the possibility to see Giancarlo Giannini, known for Hannibal (2001) and Casino Royale (2006), certainly the most famous actor of the cast, speaking Spanish and in a movie far away from the blockbusters he is known for. It also features Norma Aleandro, one of the strongest performances in the movie, and Julieta Cardinali as never seen before. Una noche con Sabrina Love, ultimately, has its moments and will definitely be of interest for those who like coming-of-age films.

The story tells the adventure of Daniel Montero, a 17 years old boy who lives in a small town and went to Buenos Aires (The big capital city) after winning a TV contest. The prize is to spend a love night with Sabrina Love, a porn star.

Always a pleasure to see anything new coming out of Latin America, Argentina is one of the most talented countries when it comes to film production. Una Noche Con Sabrina Love has two of the Spanish speaking world's greatest actresses in Cecilia Roth and Norma Aleandro. Alas, the latter is woefully under-used in a role as a photographer that she fleshes out way beyond its worthiness. Aleandro glows off the screen with sheer star power but essentially has very little to do. Cecilia Roth sinks her teeth into the role of porn star Sabrina Love who gives one night of passion to the virginal seventeen year old Daniel, who writes to her from his small village in the country and wins one night in her arms. With a series of picaresque adventures before he arrives in Buenos Aires, Daniel reconnects with the secretly gay brother he has not seen for three years. Without having read the source material of the book on which this movie is based, one has an expectation that the picaresque adventures will continue. Alas, the story gets bogged down in heavy-handed philosophical discussion that should have been tossed out of the window. This is one very obvious instance in which the screenwriter should have stepped away from the source material. There is a lot of very good acting talent at work here, specifically from the two lead actresses, but as the character of Daniel (ably interpreted by Tomas Fonzi) is the focus of the story, there should have been more opportunity for his character to experience a wider range of emotions. One wonders how Fellini might have handled a coming of age story like this. Not a complete failure, but when the movie has the title One Night With Sabrina Love, one could be forgiven for wanting to see how the encounter between the porn star and the inexperienced young guy would affect her as much as him. It would certainly have given Cecilia Roth a greater opportunity, which she unquestionably would have soared with. An interesting movie with a few disappointing longeurs along the way. Could have been better with a more skilfully written script. Just because the book is good doesn't mean to say that the script should stay faithful.

The film offers a glimpse into the life of a small town teenager: his routine, ideals, friends & family, and his ultimate fantasy. It also presents the striking differences in Argentina between its dominating capital (where about one third the population of this huge country lives & controls everything) and the rest of the country. Additionally, it is an excellent vehicle for Cecilia Roth (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER), as the much-desired Sabrina Love.

Daniel Montero, a seventeen year old, he enjoys his nocturnal rite: to watch the program of the ultimate porn star. So, when he wins the contest to spend a night with Sabrina, he feels he has struck gold. Sabrina awaits him in her TV studio in Buenos Aires. Daniel starts his journey from the isolated town where he lives with his grandmother since his parents died. His life is boring; he has a disgusting job. In his journey, Daniel discovers the world and finds himself in a hazardous and eventful life, with a gallery of men helping him to grow through wisdom, and mischievous advice & lies, a young woman who seduces him, and of course Sabrina, her producers and her colleagues in the porn industry.

It's a fascinating look at many aspects of a teenager's life, and self-discovery in this new era in South America. Also for Ms. Roth, the international award-winning actress known for very heavy dramatic roles, this film is a complete about face. She proves to be just as adept in comedy as she is in drama.