Valentin cover art

Valentin Details

2002 DVD Certificate PG.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 986 members

This heart-warmer concerns precocious eight-year-old Valentin (Rodrigo Noya), who lives alone with his grandmother in Buenos Aires in the early 1960s. Longing to be reunited with his absent mum, Valentin lives with his eccentric grandma (long-time Almodovar star Carmen Maura) and deals with the occasional visits from his .. Read more

Starring Carmen Maura, Rodrigo Noya, Julieta Cardinali
Director Alejandro Agresti
Genres Drama, World Cinema

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Valentin cover art

Valentin

This heart-warmer concerns precocious eight-year-old Valentin (Rodrigo Noya), who lives alone with his grandmother in Buenos Aires in the early 1960s. Longing to be reunited with his absent mum, Valentin lives with his eccentric grandma (long-time Almodovar star Carmen Maura) and deals with the occasional visits from his reprobate father (director Alejandro Agresti). For solace, Valentin visits a kindly musician (Mex Uritzberea) who urges the boy to hang on to his dream of becoming Argentina's first astronaut. Valentin also develops a bond with Leticia (Juliete Cardinali), one of his dad's young girlfriends. Noya plays his role like a pint-sized blend of Woody Allen, Nanni Moretti, and Audrey Tatou (AMELIE), replete with poignant optimism, wry commentary, and a cupid-like need to play matchmaker for the nicer adults in his life. As engaging as he is, the film gets stolen by the wonderful Cardinali (a TV star in Argentina) who radiates angelic warmth in her too-few scenes. Agresti suffuses the film with well-observed period detail that only hints at the political turmoil of the time (Argentina was in the grip of the infamous "reign of terror" throughout the '60s and '70s). VALENTIN is one of those films that manages to win a viewer's heart without pulling any harsh reality punches.

Starring Carmen Maura, Rodrigo Noya, Julieta Cardinali
Director Alejandro Agresti
Studio METRODOME DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 44 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate PG.gif
Genres Drama, World Cinema
Language Spanish
Released DVD: 21 Jun 2004
Production year: 2002
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (4) of Valentin

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Argentinian director Alejandro Agresti draws on his own childhood memories for this delightful tale of a eight-year-old outsider discovering his place in a world that consistently bemuses him. Occasionally, the nuggets of insight contained in young Rodrigo Noya's narration don't chime with his presentation as a speccy, space-obsessed innocent who mooches round the backstreets of 1960s Buenos Aires torn between affection for the mother who abandoned him and loyalty towards his violent father Vicente (Agresti). But Noya's rapport with his grumbling grandmother (played by Carmen Maura) and his father's latest girlfriend (Julieta Cardinali) gives the film a genuine charm that is further enhanced by the gentle optimism of the unassuming ending.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...One of the most striking films you will see this year... A genuine, touching and beautiful story..."

    • Film Review
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of Valentin

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  • 17 out of 20 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star [Highly rated reviewer]

    unmemorable, literally

    I started watching this when a couple of scenes seemed familiar and I realised I had seen it some time before and obviously it had made so little impact on me that I had forgotten and booked it now. Switched it off immediately.

  • Most recent members' review of Valentin

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  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Worth A Rent

    An enjoyable film that doesn't rely on sentimentality to convey its message. The lead character's acceptance of his fate and his attempts to make the most of what he can make out of his world are refreshing to watch. The film does not outstay its welcome in terms of its running time offering a satisfactory closure. For anybody prepared to invest time in a well constructed storyline around a simple premise with the odd twist and quality acting this could be for you.

    Valentin is autobiographical so check out the interview with the director, and the alarmingly misguided American trailer for the film, which fails hopelessly to recognize Valentin's subtle low key narrative approach to its comedy and drama.

      • A customer from UK
      • Posted 31 Mar 2007 22:00

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Rating breakdown

986 Member ratings
  • 100
170
  • 90
113
  • 80
243
  • 70
189
  • 60
129
  • 50
61
  • 40
32
  • 30
20
  • 20
21
  • 10
8

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      • This heart-warmer concerns precocious eight-year-old Valentin (Rodrigo Noya), who lives alone with his grandmother in Buenos Aires in the early 1960s. Longing to be reunited with his absent mum, ...