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The Italian

Play trailer Poster for The Italian PG-13 2007 1h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 92 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Abandoned by his mother, 6-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) lives in an orphanage run by a greedy woman (Mariya Kuznetsova) and her cruel lover (Nikolai Reutov). Vanya decides to run away and find his mother after a wealthy Italian couple offer to buy him and after observing that the older children in the home survive by stealing or prostitution. He faces many dangers on his journey, including the pair at the orphanage who tried to sell him.
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The Italian

The Italian

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Critics Consensus

Poignant and unforgettable, The Italian stands out from other European melodramas. Like its extraordinary child lead, this Russian drama about an orphan's search for his birth mother is small in size and monumental in pathos.

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Critics Reviews

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J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 07/14/2022
The movie’s notable for its striking location photography, though the action is framed as both a play and a novel... Go to Full Review Stella Papamichael BBC.com 01/24/2008
3/5
Even when Kravchuck lets the story drift, the boy is a solid anchor. Go to Full Review David Jenkins Time Out 01/24/2008
4/6
Andrei Kravchuk's film is sensitive to the hilt and pleasingly attuned to the guileless outlook of its hero. Go to Full Review Jonathan Kiefer Sacramento News & Review 08/07/2008
4/5
Robert Davis Paste Magazine 06/09/2008
With a tensed brow, Kolya Spiridonov plays a boy perpetually hovering between anxiety and dogged determination, and the film walks the same line, unsure about where it's going but always moving forward regardless. Go to Full Review Matthew Turner ViewLondon 01/25/2008
4/5
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Audience Reviews

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dave s 02/07/2022 Set in rural Russia, six-year-old Vanya, while waiting for his adoption to be finalized, decides to escape from his orphanage and embark on a journey to find his birth mother. The first half of The Italian, set in the orphanage, effectively uses muted tones and soft focus to establish the conditions the children experience, a drab and cold existence where hope for the future seems to be nothing more than a fleeting thought. As tragic as it feels, it is riveting viewing. The second half of the movie loses a bit of steam as Vanya escapes an unlikely number of close calls and chance encounters as authorities pursue him, leading to a predictable and improbable final scene. The movie is saved by the charming and charismatic performance of the young actor who plays the runaway, a performance that gives the film a sense of credibility that would otherwise be lacking. See more raphael v 03/09/2021 Gritty. Real. Excellent performances. See more 06/16/2018 Andrei Kravchuk's engrossing Russian drama explores the world of international adoption. See more 10/10/2015 An incredibly moving story, beautifully presented, ripped my heart right out of my body. See more 05/02/2015 Relato dickensiano enternecedor, de sorprendente sencillez, muy bien actuado por su pequeño protagonista, y que revela una triste realidad en la Rusia contemporánea. See more 02/27/2015 Ay its a me, pause unpause, and I want to say I lovea this movie, it is about my papi. See more Read all reviews
The Italian

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Cast & Crew

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Andrey Kravchuk

Director

Kolya Spiridonov

Vanya

Mariya Kuznetsova

Woman

Nikolai Reutov

Grisha

Denis Moiseenko

Koliyan

Sasha Sirotkin

Seriy
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The Italian

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Movie Info

Synopsis Abandoned by his mother, 6-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) lives in an orphanage run by a greedy woman (Mariya Kuznetsova) and her cruel lover (Nikolai Reutov). Vanya decides to run away and find his mother after a wealthy Italian couple offer to buy him and after observing that the older children in the home survive by stealing or prostitution. He faces many dangers on his journey, including the pair at the orphanage who tried to sell him.
Director
Andrey Kravchuk
Producer
Andrei Zertsalov
Screenwriter
Andrei Romanov
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Lenfilm Studio
Rating
PG-13 (Some Violence|Sexual Content|Language|Thematic Issues)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 19, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$552.5K
Runtime
1h 37m
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