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Valentin
Valentin (2002) is an Argentine, French, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish drama film, written and directed by Alejandro Agresti. The film features Rodrigo Noya as Valentin
and Carmen Maura as the grandmother. Director Alejandro Agresti also stars as Valentin's father.
The picture revolves around the world of an eight-year old boy, Valentin (Rodrigo Noya), who dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. While caught in the middle of his family, he attempts to better the bewildering world around him.
Plot
The film takes place in 1969 and is told through the eyes of Valentin, an eight year old small cross-eyed boy (Noya) whose thick black-rimmed glasses sit heavily on his face. He lives with his grandmother (Maura) due to the divorce of his parents. He dreams of being an astronaut one day and follows the on-going space race between the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union intently. He no longer sees his Jewish mother, who was chased out of the family home by his imperious, dictator-like father (Agresti). He misses her badly but hardly remembers her. His anti-Semite father drops by only for occasional visits to his mother and son, preferring to live the life of an Argentine playboy.
Valentin is friends with his uncle Chiche (Jean Pierre Noher) and the piano teacher Rufo who lives across the street (Mex Urtizberea). Both talk to Valentin as if he were an adult, and it seems Valentin is wise beyond his years.
His uncle takes him to mass and the priest (Fabian Vena) talks about the death an Argentinian doctor who was killed recently. He talks about Che Guevara a man "who believed in an ideal, and who believed that injustice could be overcome. Please, don't leave here before you've asked yourselves, in all sincerity: Who of you would give, not his whole life, but a year or even just one day, for an ideal, the way that Che gave all he had?"
Many in the audience walk out and Valentin comments: "But just like my uncle said, the priest couldn't change anything. Everything stayed the same."
One day he realizes that his grandmother is ill but refuses to see a doctor. Valentin make plans on how to get her to see Dr. Galaburri (Carlos Roffe). The plan he cooks up works and she makes certain lifestyle changes. Valentin is thoughtful and buys a painting for Dr. Galaburri for his office.
Leticia (Julieta Cardinali), his father's latest romantic interest, pays a visit and both spend the day together going to the park, seeing a movie and sharing a meal. Valentin tells her personal things about his life and father. Leticia rethinks about her relationship with his father and breaks up with him. His father is quite upset and blames Valentin.
One day a man visits Valentin and gives him a shirt his mother sent him. They have a conversation about his mother and Valentin begins to understand why his mother has stayed away for such a long time.
The film ends as he sets up a blind date between Leticia and his piano teacher Rufo. They all have a meal together and Valentin tells us he decided to become a writer and that Leticia and Rufo lived happily ever after.
Background
In the DVD interview with director Alejandro Agresti, he says the film was based on one year of his childhood. Furthermore, Agresti says he was motivated by what he perceives as the nature of kids. He makes the case that kids have an ability to deal with life's difficulties and have a natural inclination to overcome obstacles out of sheer love and necessity, and not out of pride and fear.
Cast
Rodrigo Noya as Valentin
Carmen Maura as Grandmother
Alejandro Agresti as Father
Julieta Cardinali as Leticia
Jean Pierre Noher as Uncle Chiche
Mex Urtizberea as Rufo, The piano teacher
Carlos Roffe as Dr. Galaburri
Lorenzo Quinteros as Man in bar
Marina Glezer as Teacher
Stefano Di Gregorio as Roberto
Fabian Vena as The Priest
Critical reception
Film critic Roger Ebert lauded the film and casting of the young boy as Valentin, writing, "I am not always sure what I mean when I praise a child actor, especially one as young as Rodrigo Noya. Certainly casting has a lot to do with his appeal; he looks the part and exudes a touching solemnity. But there is more. There's something about this kid, and the way he talks and listens and watches people, that is very convincing. Perhaps it helped that he was directed by a man who was once Valentin himself. The film is warm and intriguing, and he is the engine that pulls us through it. We care about what happens to him; high praise." Ebert, Roger. Chicago Sun-Times, film review, May 21, 2004. Last accessed: January 23, 2008.
Critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of the website Spirituality & Practice liked the film and wrote, "Written and directed by Alejandro Agresti, this remarkable drama takes us right into the yearning heart of a very smart and lonely young boy...The hopeful finale gives Valentin an opportunity to play matchmaker, something he finds much to his liking. This tender and heart-warming Argentinian film is a winner!" Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann. Spirituality & Practice, film reviews, 2004. Last accessed: January 24, 2008.
''The New York Times'sDave Kehr seems to like the film (he says nothing negative about it) but does make the case that the director panders to the audience a bit. He wrote, "[The film] has become all too familiar in the art houses: the cute child who awakens the cranky grown-ups around him to the infinite possibilities of life...[it] neglects few opportunities to pander to its public...[and] soon enough the bouncy pop score takes over again, and Valentinreturns to its true business, tugging at well-worn heart strings." Kehr, Dave. The New York Times,film review, May 7, 2004. Last accessed: December 18, 2007.
Some critics were tough on the film. David N. Butterworth writing for the web based Offoffoff.com, the guide to alternative New York, wrote, "Unfortunately, Snape kills Dumbledore." Butterworth, David N. Offoffoff.com,film review, "Charm offensive," May 25, 2004.
Distribution
The producers used the following tagline to market the film:
Cupid just turned eight.''
The film was first presented at the Netherlands Film Festival on September 29, 2002. It opened in Argentina on March 12, 2002 at the Mar del Plata Film Festival, and opened wide in the country on September 11, 2003.
The film was shown at various film festivals, including: the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands; the Cinemas d'Amerique Latine de Toulouse, France; the Cannes Film Festival, France; the Seattle International Film Festival, USA; the Toronto Film Festival, Canada; the London Film Festival, UK; and others.
In the United States it opened on a limited basis on May 7, 2004.
Release dates
France: March 21, 2003
Italy: April 16, 2004
Netherlands: February 6, 2003 (wide release)
Spain: April 4, 2003
Awards
Wins
Netherlands Film Festival: Golden Calf; Best Director of a Feature Film, Alejandro Agresti; 2002.
Mar del Plata Film Festival: ACCA Jury - Special Mention Best Film; Special Jury Award; both for Alejandro Agresti; 2003.
Newport International Film Festival: Audience Award, Best Feature, Alejandro Agresti; 2003.
Oslo Films from the South Festival: Audience Award; Alejandro Agresti; 2003.
Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Art Direction, Floris Vos; Best Director, Alejandro Agresti; Best Editing, Alejandro Brodersohn; Best Film; Best Music, Paul M. van Brugge; Best New Actor, Rodrigo Noya; Best Original Screenplay, Alejandro Agresti; 2004.
Imagen Foundation Awards: Imagen Award, Best Picture; 2004.
Nominations
Oulu International Children's Film Festival: Starboy Award, Alejandro Agresti; 2003.
Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Cinematography, Jose Luis Cajaraville; Best Sound, Fernando Soldevila; Best Supporting Actor, Mex Urtizberea; Best Supporting Actress, Julieta Cardinali, Best Supporting Actress, Carmen Maura; 2004.
Cartagena Film Festival: Golden India Catalina; Best Film, Aejandro Agresti; 2004.
Young Artist Awards: Young Artist Award Best International Feature Film; 2004.
External links
Valentin at the cinenacional.com .
Valentin English dialogue.
Valentin review at CINEstrenos by Alejandro del Pino .
Valentin review at La Nacion by Julia Montesoro .
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Valentin
