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The Italian
Directed by
Andrey Kravchuk
PG-13
2005
90m
Drama
7.5
91%
70%
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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.
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Where to Watch The Italian
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Cast of The Italian
Kolya Spiridonov
Vanya Solntsev / Kolya Spiridonov
Mariya Kuznetsova
Madam
Nikolay Reutov
Grisha
Denis Moiseenko
Kolyan
Sasha Sirotkin
Sery
Polina Vorobeva
Nataha
Olga Shuvalova
Irka
Dima Zemlyanko
Anton
Rudolf Kuld
Guard
Yuriy Itskov
Headmaster
Darya Yurgens
Mama Mukhina
Alexandr Andreev
Yuliya Shubareva
Vladimir Kosmidaylo
Tatyana Zakharova
Sergey Zhukovich
Andrey Dezhonov
Irina Osnovina
The Italian Reviews
Houston Chronicle
Bruce Westbrook
Milking sympathy for parentless children is no stretch in The Italian. More impressive is its affecting look at their reeling mother country.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eleanor Ringel Cater
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.
Detroit Free Press
John Monaghan
Wise, resilient children aren't especially new to the movies, but when they're presented this sensitively, they're always worth revisiting.
Seattle Times
Ted Fry
First-time feature director Andrei Kravchuk infuses the entire atmosphere with a formal neorealist haze that is squalid and striking.
Arizona Republic
Kerry Lengel
The story of Vanya (Solntsev Kolya Spiridonov) is less than convincing.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Steven Rea
A powerful indictment of Russia's illegal adoption industry -- and a story of pipsqueak resolve and resilience.
Chicago Sun-Times
Bill Stamets
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.
Austin Chronicle
Steve Davis
There's much that is commendable in the The Italian, not the least of which are its social criticisms of the buying and selling of children through the adoption businesses currently thriving in Russia and neighboring eastern European countries.
MovieFreak.com
Sara Michelle Fetters
While I wanted more early on (and while I'm not at all sure I liked the voiceover coda), Vanya's journey is so stirring and heartwarming it is very easy to overlook the minor missteps holding the picture back a bit from true magnificence.
Chicago Reader
Andrea Gronvall
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.
Film.com
Jonathan F. Richards
This film is about many things, but the magic key that unlocks the treasure chest is literacy.
Washington Post
Teresa Wiltz
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.
Denver Post
Michael Booth
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.
Salon.com
Andrew O'Hehir
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.
San Francisco Chronicle
Ruthe Stein
... a deeply moving experience, alternately funny and sad.
Boston Globe
Ty Burr
The Italian offers a soul-blasted portrait of modern Russia ...
Observer
Andrew Sarris
... a strong candidate for my 2007 10-best foreign-film list ...
Chicago Tribune
Michael Phillips
Director Andrei Kravchuk and cinematographer Alexander Burov make the harsh landscapes and decrepit interiors interesting and varied, without falsely dramatic set ups or lighting.
Chicago Reader
J. R. Jones
The movie's notable for its striking location photography, though the action is framed as both a play and a novel...
AV Club
Keith Phipps
[Kolya] Spiridonov carries himself with such sweet, soulful determination that it's impossible not to root for him.
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