Valentin

Valentin, the young boy living in the Buenos Aires of the sixties, is a kid that is more mature than what his tender age shows. He is articulate, wise and knows a lot about the life of the astronauts he hears about. In fact, he has built a lot of facsimiles of the space ships and even has his own version of a space suit.

What Valentin doesn't have is parents. We see him living with his older grandmother in a residential area of the capital. There isn't much money, so their lives are not exactly what one might call it even middle class. Yet, the grandmother is a loving woman that cares intensely for her little charge. It's never clear what happened between the parents, but it appears Valentin's mother was abused by the womanizer husband.

Alejandro Agresti's film, which he also wrote, was shown briefly in a commercial run here, but disappeared quickly, so we never got around to it. It came as a total surprise when it was shown in one of the cable channels in its original version.

The film is worth seeing because of Rodrigo Noya, the sweet Valentin of the film. Valentin is the narrator of the story. He amazes us with the way he looks at things and his understanding of what's going on around him. This young actor made an excellent contribution to the film without ever being bratty. Our hearts go to the poor little boy that fate has abandoned and is even lonelier after the sudden death of the grandmother.

Carmen Maura, as the grandmother, is a joy to watch. She plays a Spaniard who has emigrated to Argentina. Julieta Cardinali is seen briefly as Leticia, a beautiful blonde woman who Valentin would like to be his new mother, hoping his father will marry her. When the relationship ends, Valentin is miserable, but Leticia, seeing the goodness and loneliness of the young boy stays by him. Mex Urtizberea plays Rufo, the pianist neighbor who is kind to Valentin.

"Valentin" was a surprise that brought joy and fun at the same time.

Valentin is one cute, smart-mouthed kid. You can't help but love him, especially in his young Beatles 60s getup. Yes, at times he talks and acts much older than his age, but that's what's intended to make his character so humorous. Valentin is the Amelie Poulin of the Latin younger set, and just as adorable as Kolya, the Cinema Paradiso kid, and the Life is Beautiful kid. And Buenos Aires is displayed beautifully in this movie. If only Valentin was in wider release in the States. No one knows about it, but many would enjoy this very charming, warm-hearted movie, that reminds us of the innocence of our own youth and how we tried to decipher and improve the world in our own small way.

On 1969, in Argentina, the eight years old Valentin (Rodrigo Noya) is a boy that dreams to be an astronaut. He is raised by his poor widow grandmother Abuela (Carmen Maura), and is totally abandoned by his parents. His mother has apparently forgotten him, and his stupid father does not pay much attention on him. The smart, but needy kid missed his mother, and when his father introduces his new girlfriend Leticia (Julieta Cardinali), Valentin has a strong connection with her. Meanwhile his grandmother gets sick, and the boy tries to resolve all his family problems using his persuasion and viewpoint of life.

"Valentine" is a sweet, cute and delightful tale of a young negotiator that wanted to be an astronaut. I am not sure whether Rodrigo Noya is a great actor or not, but in this particular and peculiar role he is simply amazing. Carmen Maura is fantastic as usual, and the unknown Julieta Cardinali has a very beautiful participation. The story makes the viewer laugh and certainly will bring tears so touching and sensitive it is. This movie was one of the greatest good surprises for me and I really loved it. The scene of Valentin negotiating with the doctor in the hospital to see his grandmother in the market is one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen in cinema. Unfortunately life is not as beautiful as pictured in this remarkable scene. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil) "Valentin"

Valentin is an eight year old who dreams of one day being an astronaut. This is the late sixties just before man landed on the moon. He lives with his grandmother. Occasionally he gets a visit from his father but he never gets to see his mother. There's also an uncle, a friendly musician and a soon to be ex-girlfriend of his father's. This is Valentin's world and like that other famous eight year old Lisa Simpson he's more wiser than they are. It may not be that original but 'Valentin' is a very sweet and lovely film perfectly judged and satisfyingly told, and the conclusion will leave you moist-eyed. (8/10)

Hollywood filmmakers could learn plenty from this marvelous little film from Argentina.

Rodrigo Noya is utterly charming and captivating as the title character, a 9-year-old boy who builds stuff for astronauts and whose attitude toward life and love is more adult than many of the adults in his life, including his father.

Director Alejandro Agresti's script is clever, humorous and poignant, yet, never becomes maudlin. Even a key moment in the story is deftly handled without an ounce of sentimentality. A Hollywood film most likely would have milked that scene dry with a melodramatic score and character histrionics.

"Valentín" is a celebration of childhood innocence. But it's also about how lessons learned as a young boy shape the adult man he is to become. There are moments in this film written so smartly you appreciate Agresti's talent. For instance, Valentin's scenes with Leticia are funny because of the way the two actors play the scenes so naturally, their dialogue and actions make perfect sense. Or, listen to the conversation between Valentin and his neighbor when they discuss the neighbor's ex-girlfriend over a cup of tea.

And the film's ending? A perfect close to a lovely story. Do yourself a favor and see this brilliant gem.