Alejandro Agresti, director and screenwriter of ‘Valentin’ (Miramax), has chosen some big shoes for his very small title character to fill. Seen through the eight-year-old, slightly-crossed eyes of Valentin (Rodrigo Noya), a precocious boy growing up in 1960s Argentina, Agresti’s film is a touching tribute to innocence and honesty that emulates the highly acclaimed foreign film “Cinema Paradiso” in content and style.
Despite his age, Valentin knows the ways of the world. After his parents’ bitter divorce, the aspiring astronaut was sent to live with his grandmother (Carmen Maura) and has rarely seen Mom and Dad since. His knowledge of relationships is limited to the parade of jailbait girlfriends that his father (played by Agresti) occasionally brings him to meet, telling him that each might be his new mother. Regarding one, he proclaims, “I was excited to learn that she was a stewardess, a perfect mother for an astronaut – until I saw the fatso.”
Finally, he meets a girlfriend he can trust. Leticia (Julieta Cardinali) is a gorgeous blonde who is very kind to him. He is able to open up to her on their first meeting. After a clumsy start to their date, he wittily soliloquizes, “She probably thinks I’m still a little kid,” but he then feels trusting enough to open up to her about his father’s true nature and divulges too much. When their relationship ends, he tries to find trust in grownups, including his drunken neighbor Rufo (Mex Urtizberea), his quickly fading grandmother and his seemingly estranged mother.
“Valentin” tries incredibly hard to be “Cinema Paradiso” and even mentions the film in its trailer. While it is able to provide the same precocious charm as “Cinema Paradiso,” “Valentin” is a considerably lighter comedy, free of the lacking love story that plagued “Paradiso’s” last act. The movie is skilled in simulating the relationship between a boy and an elder role model, similar to that of “Paradiso’s” Salvatore and Alfredo. The most poignant moment of the film is following the advent of Valentin’s grandmother’s sickness, when he realizes that each one is the only family the other has.
“Valentin” also draws comparisons to another notable foreign film, “Amelie.” It is easy to identify “Valentin” with “Amelie’s” innocence, benevolence and matchmaking skills. Along with “Cinema Paradiso,” the two films are even similar in visual style, with bright colors and playful camera views. The acting, however, is more noteworthy than the cinematography, featuring a very skilled child actor. Noya portrays Valentin with wit and an incredible amount of talent for his age. His wisdom alone makes the movie worthwhile, and his adorable humor is a delight.
