The Italian, He Said

The star of this truly "little film" compels you to watch him embark on, for him, an epic journey. We open with an Italian couple selecting our little friend, Vanya for their child. We meet the hard adoption worker and her thuggish driver-major domo as they run out of gas on a lonely fog laden road in the snow covered grey countryside on the drive to the orphanage. After she makes a phone call to the home, we witness a troop of kids trotting down the road and with little fanfare they push the SUV the rest of the way.
This foreshadows the way the kids are regarded by their caretakers and what we might expect from them in the future. While all of the kids are excited and greet with restrained envy Vanya' selection, the departure must be delayed. Vanya wonders if he goes to Italy how will his mother find him.

With the aid of his friends and strangers on the way ,Vanya escapes from the orphanage and strikes out to find his mother. He is beaten, robbed, sheltered and harassed. All this while being pursued by the adoption worker and her henchman.

This touching tale is served well by the little Russian boy playing Vanya, Koyla Spiridonva. His ability to convey the sadness and hope of this boys life draws you in to the story. While the script is rather formulaic the actors get the best out of their spare lines and the predictable plot turns. The film is shot in such a dismal, dark and wet surroundings that when the boy dons a red jacket, soon after his escape, it serves us as a marker, much like the little concentration camp girl in "Schindler's List". His life now has materially changed, he will never be the same again.

If the film is suppose to be some commentary on contemporary life in Russia, I found it lacking. But the plucky look of little Vanya is something that will stay with you after you leave the theater.