Customer Reviews

Valentin

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Valentin" is director Alejandro Agresti's semi-autobiographical tribute to the emotional strength of children. Valentin (Rodrigo Noya) is a 9-year-old boy living with his grandmother (Carmen Maura) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1969. His grandmother loves him, but misses her recently deceased husband desperately and complains constantly of her remaining family. Valentin dreams of being an astronaut and longs for his mother, whom he has not been allowed to see since his parents' divorce. When Valentin's ill-tempered father (Alejandro Agresti) introduces his son to Leticia (Julieta Cardinali), the latest in a long string of girlfriends, Valentin takes to her immediately, and feels that his life is looking brighter.

If "Valentin" were a little older, this might be called a coming-of-age story. Instead, it is a story of this boy's ability to adapt, to find hope in the events around him, and to advance his own cause in his own way. Valentin is an opinionated child, sometimes to the point of being bratty, but his forthrightness and sensitivity endear him to adults nonetheless. In his attempts to navigate his family situation, Valentin discovers that things are not as he thought they were. He doesn't fall into self-pity, as adults are prone to. He accepts the world the way he now sees it, changes his opinion, and sets about adjusting his agenda. His strength is his ability to adapt.

"Valentin" is an evenly paced character drama, narrated by a frank, perceptive 9-year-old. Rodrigo Noya is perfection as Valentin. His thoughts and feelings are written across his face. It's a completely honest performance. He is nuanced as well as bright and earnest. The cast deserves a lot of credit, because this is the sort of drama where, if any emotion is exaggerated, the story would become horribly sentimental. Carmen Maura and Julieta Cardinali hit just the right note, and writer/director Alejandro Agresti appears as Valentin's father. Spanish with a choice of English subtitles or English captions for the hearing impaired.

The DVD: There is a 12-minute interview, in English, with writer/director Alejandro Agresti in which he discusses the autobiographical nature of the film, its themes, and casting. The interview is interesting, and I recommend it if you like the film. But the photography is horrible. The color balance is so far off during the interview that the picture is practically orange. It wouldn't have taken much effort to fix that. There is also a theatrical trailer.

I liked "Valentin."

It walks through a few weeks of a boy's life, Valentin, as he navigates his days living with a suspicious, protective grandmother. His dad is caught up in his own life, his mother is apparently found some unnamed trouble, and so Valentin is in the care of his father's mother.

It has the sweetness and romance of "Cinema Paradiso," the charm of "The Wonder Years," the subtle dramatic humor of "Lost in Yonkers," and the uncanny real-time wisdom of "Simon Birch."

His father visits whenever he falls in love, and although Valentin loves his father, he knows the relationship is, at best, casual. The father is somewhat abusive, but the point made isn't that, but how he simply is not around.

When the father meets Leticia, a young woman half his age, he introduces them. Valentin falls for her completely, while Leticia listens carefully. To him, she is mother potential. He trusts her, but she is the wiser of the two, and finds that though Valentin is an almost perfect child, his father is not.

The pianist across the street is something like Roger in "101 Dalmations," only lonelier. Valentin connects with him, as they both meet emotional needs - the pianist needs a friend, and Valentin needs a father. Through piano lessons, they become friends.

Too often, the films in other languages that are delivered to the USA are replete with messages that either too complex or too adult and controversial for a younger audience. "Valentin," from Argentina, gets it right, with an all-ages appropriate film and a classic sense of purity, without the sugarcoated politically correct Hollywood morality-wrapped-in-a-movie grotesqueness.

"Valentin" carries itself by the imagination of the viewer, who must, at times, suspend a few matters of reality. Real boys are not that wise or observant, not when they are eight. Valentin is never smarmy or has that youthful but bitter street-smart approach. Rather, he is kind and naive, wanting his world to be better, and for those around him to be happy.

I fully recommend "Valentin."

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

The charm that this heartwarming movie possesses is based on two factors, the outstanding screenplay by Agresti and the unbelievable performance of a small kid that makes his debut on the big screen, Rodrigo Noya. The film depicts a series of events in Valentin's life when he was eight years old, with the kid himself narrating these events. This characteristic provides the story with an unusual freshness and candor, with the plain language used by most kids being a salient feature of this production.

Valentin lives with his grandmother (Carmen Maura) in a modest house in a barrio of Buenos Aires. He is obsessed with being an astronaut and is already practicing holding his breath, walking in the absence of gravity and dressing up in the required attire; the scene in which he puts on his home made astronaut suit is enough to make this movie worth watching. The reasons for Valentin living with his grandmother are that his mother abandoned him and his father a while back and his father is too busy to take care of him, focusing on his work and girlfriends instead. Valentin is always hoping that his mother will come back to claim him though.

Lately, I have been really lucky when picking Argentinean movies to watch, and this one was even better than others that have left me completely satisfied. The only "flaw" I found with it has to do with the English subtitles. When I started watching the film in Spanish I noticed that the language used by Valentin was very characteristic of the Rio de la Plata and was curious as to how they managed to translate it. Therefore, I turned on the English subtitles to check on this aspect, finding out that, as I suspected, there was a lot lost in the translation. The reason why I mention this as a flaw in quotes is that some things are not possible to translate. The bottom line is that the movie is still perfectly enjoyable, but you will enjoy it a little more if you understand Spanish.

In relation to the actors, as I mentioned, Rodrigo Noya is absolutely perfect for playing the role of Valentin, and Carmen Maura shows why she is one of the most renowned Spanish actresses, delivering a high level performance. It is good to see Fabian Vena back on a movie, even though it is only for a couple of minutes. Vena plays the role of Bernardo, a forward-looking priest that has no fear of challenging the establishment. We can see this clearly in the scene in which he praises the life and mourns the death of Ernesto "Che" Guevara. This scene is very important, not only for mentioning one of the most important figures in Latin American history, but also because it helps understand the climate reigning at the end of the decade of the 60s in South America.

As if the movie was not good enough by itself, this DVD includes a very insightful interview with the writer, director and actor Alejandro Agresti. It is particularly interesting to learn the answer to questions like: what is the basis for the story, why did he decide to give the main role to Rodrigo Noya, and why did he choose 1969 as the year in which the story develops. I have no other words to praise this fantastic movie; I do know though that I will surely watch it a few more times in the near future.

This is the story of a very particular 8-year-old, who lives in Argentina in the late 1960`s. The spectator will laugh and cry, as Valentín (played by Rodrigo Noya) shows him the world, from his own point of view, and with some interesting and candid remarks.

Which is his world?. Well, first his home, then his neighbourhood. This little boy lives with his grandmother (Carmen Maura) since his parents divorced, and is visited by his father (played by the director, Alejandro Agresti) only from time to time. Valentín would like to see his father more, and thinks his mother abandoned him because she just didn't love him enough. Despite that, he isn't a gloomy person, but rather a good boy who tries to make the best of what he has.

Valentín has many dreams, for example being an astronaut. He is so eager to be one in the future that he even practices how to hold his breath when he is having a bath, and how to walk with weights on his feet. However, his most cherished dream is to have a family again, and he will do all he can to "create" one. He will have an opportunity of doing exactly that when he meets the last of his father`s girlfriends, Leticia (Julieta Cardinali). I don't want to tell you more about the plot. Suffice it to say that simple things, seens from the eyes of Valentín, aren't so simple any more. They acquire a charm that even the more jaded will enjoy...

Regarding the language, take into account that the original language is Spanish, but that this movie contains quite a bit of Argentinian slang that isn't overly well translated in the subtitles. That doesn't get in the way of understanding what is happening in the movie, but it may interfere a little when it comes to nuances. So if you have an Argentinian friend ask him the "difficult" words, or search them in the Internet afterwards.

On the whole, I really liked this film even though I think the ending lacked something, I don't know exactly what. Maybe I just wanted more closure, or I needed to know more about what happened afterwards to the characters. All the same, I can highly recommend this movie to you. The acting was great, and the movie different. "Valentin" will make you remember again what being a child was like, even if that was a long time ago :)

Belen Alcat

This recent import from Argentina is about an adorable little boy who is wise beyond his years. He's only eight years old, has cross eyes and he sees his 1960's world through rose-colored glasses. Loosely based on the writer/director, Alejendro Agresti's, own boyhood, the young boy's voice-overs are sugar sweet and yet poignant observations of the world around him.

Rodrigo Noya, only 7 years old when the film was made, is cast as Valentin, who lives with his grandmother who is ailing and mourning the loss of her husband. Valentin's father drops in once in a while but has forbidden the young boy to see his mother. It is not clear exactly why the father, who is a Fascist, is so bitter, and the fact that the mother is Jewish is only hinted at as one of the causes, but the young boy yearns for her constantly and his sadness about this never ceases.

But along with this sadness, the film is a comedy as it looks at the foibles of grownups. The young boy manages to persuade a doctor to make a house call to his grandmother, he befriends a local bachelor musician who has just been dumped by his girlfriend, and, in some of most humorous scenes of the film, he meets one of his father's many girlfriends, who he wants desperately to marry his father, but instead manages to turn her off from the relationship.

It all works out happy in the end though as the young boy plays matchmaker, discovers his mother is alive and everything seems to work out for the best.

The acting, especially by the young boy, is just amazing. The story moved along well and I really got the feeling of being in Argentina. But yet the film only hints at the horrors that were going on in Argentina at the time. And the story is just too sugary to be believable. I was feeling good after seeing this film. But I was also sorry it didn't go just a little bit deeper.

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.

I will endeavor to add a unique perspective regarding this movie that I hope will give you a feel for what you will encounter without being overly technical or giving away the plot. I have been trying to learn Spanish over the past 4 years by watching DVDs and studying every Latin film I can get my hands on..... and this movie does not disappoint! Set in the sights and sounds the of the European-flavored city of Buenos Aires, Valentin tells us about the human condition via the imagination of a child. It is full of touching humor and expressions of the value of love as well as the pain felt when love appears absent. Julieta Cardinali who plays Leticia, delivers an amazing performance. She has by far the potential to be the next Penelope Cruz... and then some! ....This is a movie you will want to show your friends and it makes a perfect "date" movie (but only if you like the person you are with!). If you are familiar with recent Argentine films, at the end of Valentin you will likely feel similar to the way you might feel at the end of "Son of the Bride" (Hijo de la novia, in my opinion the best Argentine film to date).

So here are my ratings:

***** 5 stars for a perfect movie to watch on a date with someone you love (make it a double feature with "Son of the Bride" and you will laugh, cry and just might elope)

***** 5 stars for Julieta Cardinali (Leticia ) and Rodrigo Noya (Valentin) . I am looking forward to seeing more work from them in the future!

*** 3 stars for using it to learn Spanish. If the Zone 1 version actually had the Spanish subtitles so you could both listen to and read the Spanish to train you ear, I would give it 5 stars. The Argentine spanish is wonderful to listen to in this film as it dances with the influence of Italian. Additionally, this movie would be appropriate for viewing in any high school Spanish class.

¡VALE LA PENA!

valentin is 8-years old and has a terrible life. His only friend is an acoholic, but is kind to him. Valentine is a foriegn film, but worth reading the subtitles! Then his dad's girlfriend steps into the picture. She betrays him by telling his dad their conversation. Alejandro Agresti is a great actor for his age, and Lecita shines as the mother. The grandmother dies and Valentin becomes really said. I won't tell you anything else, but you should watch this excellent motion picture!

I saw this movie in Spain last year, I thought it was great. I saw the poster for it, and the poster is not representative of the story line. Its NOT about a love story, its about a boy's struggles and dreams. The original title is "El Sueño de Valentin" "The Dream of Valentin". Like the other person said, its funny and it will make you want to cry all at the same time. Over all an excellent film.

I saw this movie of at the recent Miami Internacional Film Festival. What a treat! New favorite movie. It will make you laugh so hard you won't hear the next line, cry you'll forget you're in a theater and you will leave refreshed wth a new sense of life. Now, I do warn you that the subtitles do not do it justice. I sugget you polish up your "lunfardo" (Argentine slang) before heading out for this one. There will be a limited edition in May, and for the reat of you, it's a must have DVD.