The Year My Parents Went On Vacation (2008)
85 %
Reviews Counted: 48 Fresh: 41 Rotten:7 Average Rating: 7.2/10
Consensus:
Hamburger deftly refracts the sociopolitical tumult of early '70s Brazil through the lens of a young boy's coming of age, and Joelsas' performance is wise beyond his years.
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Theatrical Release: Feb 15, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: This Brazilian import is set during the excitement of the 1970 World Cup. While the country focuses its attention on the epic soccer tournament, a boy is separated from his parents as they are forced to escape the country without their son amidst political turmoil. Meanwhile, the young boy... [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Michel Joelsas, Germano Haiut, Caio Blat, Daniela Piepszyk, Liliana Castro
Director: Cao Hamburger
Screenwriter: Claudio Galperin, Braulio Mantovani, Anna Muylaert, Cao Hamburger
Producer: Caio Gullane, Cao Hamburger, Fabiano Gullane
Composer: Beto Villares
Screenwriter: Claudio Galperin, Braulio Mantovani, Anna Muylaert, Cao Hamburger
Producer: Caio Gullane, Cao Hamburger, Fabiano Gullane
Composer: Beto Villares
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Reviews
Comment
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is an appealing dramedy that delicately couches its political and social commentary in a coming of age tale.
07/09/08
Steps into the shoes of youth remembered, a summer when a boy's wide eyes are opened further by disillusion--the final whistle sounds sharp and harsh, echoing long after the game's over. An elegant, reflective film that dekes around coming-of-age cliches.
07/01/08
Joelsas' youthful exuberance carries the movie long enough to make this "Vacation" a rewarding trip.
05/02/08
The comforting familiarity, even in a foreign country in a time of political strife, is what makes it quietly effective.
05/01/08
Despite a few bits of low-key humor and some cheeky bits, the mostly charming film is actually meant to be taken seriously. And there are some poignant, surprisingly tender moments.
05/01/08
Director and co-writer Cao Hamburger presents all of this in such a timid and sanitized manner that one would suspect childhood wasn't a messy affair. Unfortunately for Hamburger, we've all been there, done that.
04/30/08
Their performances (Michel Joelsas, Daniela Piepszyk) %u2014 natural, poignant and wide-eyed about what life will serve up %u2014 are things of beauty.
04/25/08
A Brazilian dramedy that touches on politics, sex, family and religion but is interested in them only to the extent that they rub off on the movie's people.
04/18/08
An utterly convincing depiction of childhood loneliness and uncertainty, in a world I'd never seen onscreen: the Orthodox Jewish community of Sao Paulo.
04/18/08
Director Cao Hamburger has a warm, delicate sensibility that informs the story's commonplace events. Neither the story's drama nor its comedy are overstated.
04/17/08
Top Critic
Heartwarming...This is a Year worth spending with Mauro and his friends.
04/12/08
The most original parts of The Year My Parents Went on Vacation vividly juxtapose melting-pot conviviality with political turmoil in 1970 Brazil.
04/11/08
Most political films involving children are vicious or sentimental. The Year My Parents Went on Vacation, set in 1970 when Brazil was under the military dictatorship of General Emilio Medici, is neither.
04/11/08
This Brazilian coming-of-age drama, co-produced by City of God creator Fernando Meirelles, charms because it rarely spells things out.
04/11/08
Be patient and brace yourself for the climax; the wait is definitely worthwhile.
03/28/08
Top Critic
Director Cao Hamburger, a Brazilian of Italian and German descent, treats this development with a very light hand.
03/28/08
Top Critic
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation seems to be about, in the end, is big-time sport as the opiate of the masses.
03/27/08
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(OSCARwatch 2008)-Brazil selects "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" for FF Oscar!
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