Valentin

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)

I didn't suspect this movie to be good, because the dutch producer Laurens Geels produced it and I usually don't like his films. But this one was a sweet surprise! The whole film has this brilliant feel-good-movie athmosphere...and you just don't want this film to end. Rodrigo Noya is one of the most brilliant young actors among us, I was totally crazy about his character. I can't wait to see the next Agresti film! By the way, this is an absolute OSCAR-winner for this year!(or maybe Goodbye Lenin?)mmmmhhhh.....we'll see!

What a relief. What a movie. What a simple and beautiful message. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Why is it so hard to find a movie like this? Never too sentimental, never cheesy, but full of fantasy and realism at the same time. How does he do it? I can only say... go see it!

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.