The Italian
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Movie Reviews of The Italian
Movie Review: An Abandoned Russian Orphan: His Sacrifices and Dreams
Summary: 5 Stars
'Italianetz' (THE ITALIAN) is a strong Russian film from the pen of Andrei Romanov under the direction of young artist Andrei Kravchuk - the kind of film that enlightens us about problems in Russia but also provides one of the more tender stories about a child's resilience on film.
Apparently in modern Russia there are orphanages for abandoned children which serve as repositories for adoption by needy parents throughout the world, adoptions brokered by savvy Russian sponsors who, despite the seeming heartlessness of their vocation, are doing a service in providing homes for these unwanted children. The orphanages depicted in THE ITALIAN are not of the Charles Dickens' workhouse place types, but rather are homes run by kind people who encourage and support the children in a loving way.
Vanya Solntsev (Kolya Spiridonov) is a six-year-old orphan who has just been selected for adoption by an Italian couple visiting his orphanage. At first happy about his 'good fortune', he soon encounters a distraught mother (Dariya Lesnikova) looking for her own abandoned son and Vanya longs to return to his own birth mother. He is taught to read by a kind prostitute Irka (Olga Shuvalova) enabling him to search the orphanage files to discover the whereabouts of his birth mother. Much against the advice of his fellow orphans and those rowdy boys with whom he associates outside the orphanage, Vanya sets out to find his mother and in hot pursuit are the brokers for the adoption and the police. He hides, encounters all manner of obstacles and misfortunes on his journey, but at last he discovers his birth mother and the film ends with one of the more tender concepts imaginable.
The cinematography by Aleksandr Burov is moody and captures the feeling of peril Vanya encounters. In one of the more original musical scores for film Aleksandr Knaifel has elected to compose themes played solely on the high treble keys of the piano, on the xylophone and on bells: the feeling is one suggesting the small stature of the children, making their views the more important ones of the story. The cast is uniformly outstanding with special credit going to the warmth of the performance by young Kolya Spiridonov. Recommended for all audiences. In Russian, Italian, some English with subtitles. Grady Harp, May 07
Movie Review: The dream of a lifetime or the choice of now
Summary: 5 Stars
This 2007 Russian film takes place in 2002, and the main setting is a Russian orphanage. Now, generally we are privy to orphanages that are understaffed, crowded, dirty, and filled with numb or crying babies. But here, we have the older children, and young teens who aren't adoption material. The conditions of the orphanage are like one might assume, squalid, cold, dreary, and a place where the young girls sell themselves, a youth gang, corrupt and greedy officials.
A six-year old boy has been selected for the pending adoption to an Italian family. The adoption is a dream come true, the choice of a lifetime, and they nickname him The Italian. But the adorable child has a mission to accomplish, to see his biological mother. It's here that he must scheme to leave the orphanage, travel by train, elude the staff who fears they will lose much money for the pending adoption. Vanya sets out to find the home where his mother lives. You can follow his journey, root for him, feel for the sweetness and innocence he has. The film is fast-paced, lot of events happening, and very suspenseful.
It's no surprise that children in foreign film can do some remarkable work, and this child was wonderful. This was director Andrei Kravchuk feature film debut. The film is based on a true story of a Russian boy abandoned in the orphanage and he goes in search of his mother. The child, born in 1995, has starred in several movies.
This is a bittersweet movie, observing the chilling depiction of a Russian orphanage, but it is not surprising. But see this innocent child caught up between the dream of a lifetime or the choice of now. ....Rizzo
Movie Review: Goes near the top of my best recommendations from Russia
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Italian" is an excellent film that goes onto my expanding list of Russian film recommendations. Topping that list is still The Return - a masterpiece in every way - and Burnt by the Sun. For those of you who know how good those films are, "The Italian" is near to, but not quite, in that class.
We recently saw a movie at the "AFI Dallas 08" film festival that featured three young boys. These three were likable, cute...and dreadful actors. It was a painful viewing experience. In "The Italian," young Kolya Spiridonov - who portrays five-year-old 'Vanya' (he's 'The Italian' for reasons that will be apparent when you see the film) - is in nearly every scene. The film sinks or swims with him. Thankfully, he's simply marvelous. Writer Andrei Romanov has given young Mr. Spiridonov natural, age-appropriate dialogue and director Andrei Kravchuk has coaxed a great performance from him. It's not quite in the same class as then-seven-year-old Ivan Dobronravov's jaw-dropping performance in 'The Return,' but it's compelling stuff nevertheless.
I was especially taken by director Kravchuk's technique of slyly showing the bleakness of the Russian countryside as a quiet backdrop to young Vanya's train ride. It's a subtle but powerful message from a skilled filmmaker.
Movie Review: An Excellent Film: "The Bicycle Thief" of the 21st Century!
Summary: 5 Stars
First, let me say that it strikes me as wholly bizarre that anyone would review this film without having viewed it. Whatever your personal stake in the Russian adoption system is, you should probably air your opinions on it somewhere else, unless you've actually taken the time to view the film (see review below). The movie is absolutely stunning! I speak Russian, so I quite enjoyed the beautifully done dialogue and the rural dialect and accent of the children. The subtitles were well done: yes, one could quibble with some translations, but they captured the essence of the original Russian, which is not something many movies can say. Cinematically, this film is also beautiful: it captures the decay, poverty, and wretchedness of post-Soviet Russia perfectly, and does so in a way that is always moving and never cheap or exploitative. It also portrays the orphans themselves and their problems and choices in a way that is truly insightful. The story itself is also excellent, and the ending is satisfying without in any way being hackneyed or contrived. Moreover, the writing is superb. The characters are all complex, multi-faceted, and believable. No one is two-dimensional, and even the "villains" have some depth and even some sympathetic aspects. If you enjoy deep, rich, and complex characterizations about the problems of everyday life, you will love this movie. If your idea of a good movie is a series of explosions and shootouts, stay away!Movie Review: A little bit over the top, no?
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't seen this movie and probably won't. I rated it as five stars as a courtesy. I take issue with the way in which this product is being marketed: It certainly is not the case that "the urgent issue of illegal adoption in Russia" has become "a well-documented international crisis," as the reviewers at DVD Monsters and Critics would have us believe [...] I know this from personal experience as my wife and I--both American citizens--adopted a school-age child from Russia about two years ago. A number of our friends have done so as well. Given the checks and balances in the Russian adoption system, it is very difficult for me to believe that there is a crisis at all. It took us about a year to complete our adoption. Every living blood relative of our daughter-to-be was located and asked whether s/he would object to the adoption. They unanimously approved. My wife and I spent four hours in court justifying to the judge and prosecutor that we would make good parents for our daughter. Once the petition was granted, every living blood relative of our daughter was again notified and given another 10 legal days to object. None did. The movie may be great, but the claim that adoption from Russia is illegal and in crisis, is specious.