Valentin
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Carmen Maura, Juan Cruz Bordeu, Julieta Cardinali, Marina Glezer, St?fano Di GregorioPrimary Contributor: Julieta Cardinali
Primary Contributor: Rodrigo Noya
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Spanish (Original Language); English (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 83 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-12
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Miramax
Movie Reviews of Valentin
Movie Review: Don't be misled by bad marketing. This is a great film about a small boy.
Summary: 5 Stars
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 peque?as 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.
Summary of Valentin
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.Art House & International DVD Video
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