Liliana Castro and Michel Joelsas in "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation"
(Credit: City Lights)
- Photos:
-
- Running time:
- 104 minutes
- Rated:
- PG
- Cast:
- Michel Joelsas -
- Mauro
- Germano Haiut -
- Schlomo
- Director:
- Cao Hamburger
- Genre:
- Drama
- Overall User Rating:
-
(2 ratings)
Big question: Is the movie good enough to justify its selection as one of only nine semi-finalists for Oscar's best foreign language film race?
Catch it: There's nothing particularly surprising or daring about this nostalgia-drenched tale. It has everything you'd expect to find on a coming of age cliché checklist: the pretty older woman, precocious young love interest, rebellious male role models and wise old man. But its portrait of a multi-cultural Brazil is warm and welcoming just the same.
Skip it: If you haven't seen the animated French film "Persepolis" yet. Although it was surprisingly shut out of the foreign Oscar competition it's a smarter, more absorbing take on how oppressive political regimes can damage families and impact young people.
Bottom line: Filmmaker Cao Hamburger chooses to explore a politically tumultuous time through the most passive observers possible—children. That's great for sentimental Oscar voters, not so great for viewers looking for stimulating world cinema. Fortunately, Hamburger's solid craftsmanship ensures a slick, enjoyable product, even if it's too by-the-numbers to really stand out.
