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.
– Eleanor Ringel Gillespie,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
15 Mar 2007
rotten:
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.
– Teresa Wiltz,
Washington Post,
27 Apr 2007
fresh:
This film is about many things, but the magic key that unlocks the treasure chest is literacy.
– Jonathan F. Richards,
Film.com,
30 Apr 2007
fresh:
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.
– Andrea Gronvall,
Chicago Reader,
4 Dec 2007
fresh:
Andrei Kravchuk's film is sensitive to the hilt and pleasingly attuned to the guileless outlook of its hero.