Fresh
Andrei Kravchuk's film is sensitive to the hilt and pleasingly attuned to the guileless outlook of its hero.
David Jenkins, Time Out
Overview
Set in 2002, an abandoned 5-year-old boy living in a rundown orphanage in a small Russian village is adopted by an Italian family.
Director and cast
- Andrey Kravchuk Director
- Kolya Spiridonov as Vanya Solntsev / Kolya Spiridonov
- Mariya Kuznetsova as Madam
- Nikolay Reutov as Grisha
- Jurij Ickov as Headmaster
- Denis Moiseenko as Kolyan
- Sasha Sirotkin as Sery
- Polina Vorobeva as Nataha
- Olga Shuvalova as Irka
- Dima Zemlyanko as Anton
- Wim Brown as Mukhin's Mother
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
91%
Tomatometer
Fresh
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.
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Fresh
This film is about many things, but the magic key that unlocks the treasure chest is literacy.
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com
Rotten
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.
Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post
Fresh
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.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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