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(About Our Ads) "VALENTIN" (2004) (Rodrigo Noya, Carmen Maura) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Heavy Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None None None *Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild Mild Heavy Heavy Minor QUICK TAKE: Subtitled Drama: A precocious 8-year-old experiences and comments on the trials and tribulations of his life. PLOT: Valentin (RODRIGO NOYA) is a precocious 8-year-old who lives with his grandmother Abuela (CARMEN MAURA) in 1960s Argentina. Desirous of becoming an astronaut, the boy is constantly fixated on that. Yet, he also wants his absent businessman father (ALEJANDRO AGRESTI) to marry any of his girlfriends. That's so that the boy can have a mother figure in his life who will take the place of his real mother who he hasn't seen since he was three. Since his grandfather died around a year ago, things haven't been the same in their house, and thus Valentin often hangs out with Rufo (MEX URTIZBEARA), his lovelorn pianist neighbor and enjoys visits from his uncle Chiche (JEAN PIERRE NOHER). Seemingly an adult trapped in a kid's body, Valentin has few friends, but finds an unlikely one in the form of 22-year-old Leticia (JULIETA CARDINALI) who just so happens to be dating his father. As life throws various curveballs - both good and bad - his way, Valentin tries to make sense of his family, women and his place in the world. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're into foreign films, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some thematic elements and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: RODRIGO NOYA plays a precocious 8-year-old who's fixated on being an astronaut and having a mother figure to replace his real one. Somewhat of an adult mind trapped in a kid's body, he uses some profanity and has some brief racist beliefs from his father. CARMEN MAURA plays his nearly always critical grandmother who gets progressively sicker and misses her dead husband. ALEJANDRO AGRESTI plays Valentin's somewhat racist and occasionally mean and angry father who smokes and doesn't take care of his child. MEX URTIZBEARA plays the boy's lovelorn, pianist neighbor who drinks and befriends the boy. JULIETA CARDINALI plays the 22-year-old girlfriend to Valentin's father who takes a liking to the boy and feels sorry for him and his situation JEAN PIERRE NOHER plays Valentin's uncle who briefly stops by and smokes. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this subtitled drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a possible "f" word (which could also have been a guttural sound - either way it's not subtitled), as well as at least 5 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Some brief and non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes (including racism), while tense family material (and thus thematic elements) includes a familial death, an absentee father and a boy hoping for a new mother while being raised by an overbearing grandmother. A character is noted as being a drunk, but is only briefly seen drinking (although he allows a boy to have a taste), while several characters smoke. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with flashes of light on the screen, some of that occurs in a scene set in a movie theater. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Abuela tells Valentin that Rufo is a drunk. Valentin tells Rufo to have some gin after the latter complains about being dumped. We see a bottle of liquor on a table and some in a shot glass in front of Abuela and Chiche. We see a bottle of whiskey in Rufo's place. Valentin comments about the scent of alcohol and tobacco on Rufo (in voice over narration). Rufo drinks, Valentin asks if he's tipsy, and the pianist then allows Valentin to taste his whiskey. BLOOD/GORE We see Valentin urinating at a tree (his back is to the camera and thus we don't see anything explicit). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Abuela refers to her former daughter-in-law as a "Jewess," calls her a "slut" who cheated on her husband and wishes the daughter-in-law were dead. She's also critical of most everything and is overbearing to Valentin. Valentin lies to his uncle about having a girlfriend so that they can have manly things to talk about. We see a flashback of Valentin referring to his father's new girlfriend as "fatso." Valentin tells Leticia about his father's racism toward Jewish people (about how they're different) and the boy seems to believe some of it himself. Later, he asks Rufo if it's "good to be Jewish." Valentin's father is upset with him about not telling him about his mother being sick, as well as apparently being the cause of Leticia dumping him (he yells at the boy and calls him a "piece of sh*t"). We also hear that Valentin's father boxed his ear in the past when he brought up the subject of his mother. Rufo allows Valentin to taste his whiskey. Rufo tells Valentin that women are a necessary evil (after his girlfriend dumped him). A former boyfriend of Valentin's mother implies that the boy's father beat her. FRIGHTENING SCENES Valentin's father is upset with him about not telling him about his mother being sick, as well as apparently being the cause of Leticia dumping him (he yells at the boy, but nothing else happens, although it initially appears it might). GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Don't bullsh*t me," "You're a piece of sh*t," "Little sh*t," "Lazy bum," "Slut," "Jewess," "Fatso," "Don't be so cheeky," "(You) Moron, "Are you crazy?" "Shut your mouth," "What a nerd," "Idiot," "You bum," "Dirty little brat" and "Life's a crapshoot." Valentin practices holding his breath under his bath water. Valentin tries to fix their 1960s era TV, prompting a spark from the exposed back (he's okay). Trying to be quiet and sneak out of the house, Valentin slides his feet across their wood floors on pieces of fabric. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 possible "f" word (that may have just been a guttural sound as no subtitle accompanied it), 5 "s" words, 4 asses (2 used with "hole") and 1 use of "My God." SEX/NUDITY We briefly see young Valentin in the bathtub, but don't see anything explicit. Abuela refers to her former daughter-in-law as a "slut" who cheated on her husband. Chiche tells Valentin that a woman's lips are important to him and that there's more to a woman than her breasts. Valentin then asks about the importance of a woman's "ass" and he briefly responds about that as well. SMOKING Chiche smokes several times, Valentin's father smokes once, and a few miscellaneous characters also smoke. Abuela talks of her early days with her late husband and of him showing up with a lit cigarette. Valentin comments about the scent of alcohol and tobacco on Rufo (in voice over narration). TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Valentin's grandfather died a year ago and both he and his grandmother miss him (various scenes deal with that). We hear that Valentin's father is too busy to see him or Abuela (who complains about him not providing for them) and that Valentin hasn't seen his mother since he was three and his parents split up. Valentin repeatedly hopes that his mother will show up at his door and states that he misses her. We hear that Valentin's father boxed his ear in the past when he brought up the subject of his mother. Valentin's father is upset with him about not telling him about his mother being sick, as well as apparently being the cause of Leticia dumping him (he yells at the boy). We hear that Rufo's mother died when he was 15. Valentin worries about his grandmother's health, especially when she has to go to the hospital. A boy's grandmother dies (we hear the news on the phone), he has to go and live with someone else and later sees that his former house is now for sale. A former boyfriend of Valentin's mother implies that the boy's father beat her. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Divorced and/or absent parents. Being raised by a relative. Deaths in the family. Racism. Valentin commenting that some people have it all, yet don't enjoy it. We briefly see a two-head goat display in a museum. There's talk that Valentin's aunt ran off with some other man. Rufo tells Valentin that women are a necessary evil (after his girlfriend dumped him). Valentin states that he's tired of people fighting and being caught in the middle, and tired of being lied to and being sad. 1960s era Argentina and Che Guevara (there's a brief mention of his death in one scene). VIOLENCE Abuela occasionally whacks Valentin in several scenes (as her means of keeping him under control). Reviewed April 30, 2004 / Posted May 21, 2004