5/24/2008

The Italian (2005)

Italianetz

This is the touching tale of six-year-old Vanya Solntsev (
Kolya Spiridonov) who lives in a Russian orphanage. When Madam (Mariya Kuznetsova), the adoption broker, and her driver Grisha (Nikolai Reutov) bring an Italian couple to meet Vanya, the wheels are set in motion between Madam and the orphanage headmaster (Yuri Itskov) to make handsome profits from the adoption.

But in the two months of wait time until the adoption is completed and the Italians return to take Vanya home, the little boy thinks deeply about his birthmother and whether or not she is alive, if she was forced to give up her child, or if she'd abandoned Vanya. He is driven to find out and the resourceful child must suffer the slings of the older bully orphans and entrapment by the headmaster, while getting aid from the charming teenager Irka (
Olga Shuvalova).

Can Vanya find the truth despite all odds and a long journey, mostly on his own?

What a fascinating and well done little film. And young Kolya Spiridonov has all the acting smarts of a seasoned pro.

Directed by
Andrei Kravchuk.

Subtitles.

My personal rating: B

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