Valentin

Argentinian writer/director Alejandro Agresti mined his own childhood for this sure-fire arthouse hit, a lovable cross between My Life As a Dog, The Station Agent, and Amelie. The movie’s heart is Rodrigo Noya as Valentin, a sweet-natured, old-souled little boy who comes to terms with the world, and his deep-set family problems, by resolving issues among his relatives and neighbors. Noya is a remarkable child actor, cute as a Muppet but also curious, intelligent and sad. His performance saves the film from a tendency toward the cloying; there’s also a subtle undercurrent that suggests that everything will not necessarily turn out well in the end. Argentine model and TV star Julieta Cardinali, playing a girlfriend of Valentin’s father, has an endearing rapport with the little boy, who desperately hopes she will become his new mother. And Agresti himself takes on the role of the little boy’s abusive, domineering father, perhaps working out some Freudian baggage. 3911 West 50th St., Edina, (952) 926-1621, www.landmarktheatres.com