Italianetz 2005

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Director Andrei Kravchuk and cinematographer Alexander Burov make the harsh landscapes and decrepit interiors interesting and varied, without falsely dramatic set ups or lighting. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: I think The Italian is supposed to be A.I. without robots. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: This 2005 story about a Russian boy whose mother has given him up may be derivative, but it's still engrossing, largely because of its appealing juvenile lead, Kolya Spiridonov. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: First-time feature director Andrei Kravchuk infuses the entire atmosphere with a formal neorealist haze that is squalid and striking. Read more

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: ... a deeply moving experience, alternately funny and sad. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The ending isn't exactly happily-ever-after, but it leaves you with a deep-down respect and affection for this determined little tyke who perseveres against all odds. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: [Kolya] Spiridonov carries himself with such sweet, soulful determination that it's impossible not to root for him. Read more

Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: The story of Vanya (Solntsev Kolya Spiridonov) is less than convincing. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: The Italian offers a soul-blasted portrait of modern Russia ... Read more

Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: For all its sly appraisals, grouty surfaces and hard-luck situations, The Italian is underneath it all a fairy-tale. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Milking sympathy for parentless children is no stretch in The Italian. More impressive is its affecting look at their reeling mother country. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: The Italian is not so much about present-day Russia as it is an upbeat fable of what [director Andrei] Kravchuk envisions as its future. It's a wish-fulfillment fantasy posing as hard-edged realism. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: Director Andrei Kravchuk infuses his story with a Dickensian mix of benevolence and indifference. The pacing is assured, and his cameras peek through the Russian mist as if watching a fairy tale, uncertain of a happy or cruel ending. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The hardships and setbacks are just grim enough to be effective without plunging the viewer into Russian despair. Read more

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com: This film is about many things, but the magic key that unlocks the treasure chest is literacy. Read more

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: Wise, resilient children aren't especially new to the movies, but when they're presented this sensitively, they're always worth revisiting. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Lured, perhaps, by the promise of international markets, [director] Kravchuk instead opts for routine uplift, and once the heroic journey is set in motion, the rest is ballast. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: The Italian holds us with a timeless simplicity and narrative purity. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: The Italian is a debut feature by Andrei Kravchuk, and it shows some sophisticated style. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Even if circumstances edge toward the unlikely, [director] Kravchuk and [child actor] Spiridonov make an effective team, exploring the realities that lead to so much heartbreak for so many children. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: At heart, The Italian is a Dickensian tale that paints a vivid portrait of post-Glasnost Russia en route to a four-handkerchief ending. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: Kravchuk, a veteran of Russian TV, means to show his countrymen how they have failed kids like Vanya. But also to convince them that Vanya and his friends can still be saved, without becoming Italians. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: The Italian is an aesthetic gem, but a moral muddle. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The overall mood is crushingly sad. The society's grime and poverty are depicted with pitiless realism. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: The charm of The Italian lies in Kravchuk blending a sentimental fable and a boy's action-adventure saga. He surpasses cliches and still delivers a novel finale that's heartwarming. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The Italian is tough to watch at times, but then so is life. Chances are you'll leave the theatre moved by the strength of the human spirit and with newfound respect for the bond between a child and his mother. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out: Andrei Kravchuk's film is sensitive to the hilt and pleasingly attuned to the guileless outlook of its hero. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: The movie's sheen of desperation is ultimately like a shabby coat that, once a hint of sunshine shows up, is too easily discarded. Read more

Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post: At times, the difficulties that Vanya encounters strain credulity. The Italian doesn't bother to infuse its characters with complex motivations. They're either Bad or Good. Read more