Cao Hamburger's "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" is a poignant, if somewhat conventional, coming-of-age tale set in the politically charged world of early 1970s Brazil. Mauro is a soccer-obsessed 12-year-old whose Communist-leaning parents are suddenly forced to flee to some undisclosed location, leaving Mauro to stay with his paternalistic grandfather in Sao Paolo, while they're "away on vacation." Unbeknownst to the parents, however, the old man has recently died, so Mauro winds up being looked after by an elderly Jewish neighbor by the name of Shlomo, a cantankerous old codger with no interest in raising a child, let alone one he's only just met. But look after him he does, inspired by the humanistic belief that people are to take care of one another when the chips are down. Shlomo is, however, appalled to discover that Mauro, despite having a Jewish father, knows virtually nothing of the religious and cultural heritage from which he springs. Thus, Shlomo embarks on a program to re-connect the boy to his roots.
"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" echoes earlier films like "The Two of Us," "The Revolt of Job," "Monsieur Ibrahim," etc., in which an abandoned, orphaned or wayward child is introduced to an alien culture - sometimes even his own - through the tender ministrations of an elderly caretaker. As a result, the movie doesn't always feel as fresh and original as one would like. Nevertheless, it does a nice job capturing the heartbeat and rhythm of this tight-knit community of Diasporic Jews who welcome Mauro in with open arms. The relationship between Mauro and Shlomo is painted in small, subtle strokes rather than bold melodramatic flourishes, while the sentimentality and life lessons are kept to a respectable minimum. Most touching, perhaps, is Michel Joelsas' astute portrayal of a boy left bewildered and wounded by the seeming indifference of a mother and father whose absence he has little capacity to fully comprehend. Germano Haiut is also understated and impressive as the initially cranky man who opens his heart to a lost soul - though, if the truth be told, the character lacks the complexity and depth afforded his counterparts in those previously mentioned films.
As with virtually all tales centered around a young boy's coming-of-age, the screenplay features an assortment of familiar character types and situations: the awkward first love, the doting extended family, the peephole that provides a tantalizing glimpse into the mysterious and forbidden world of adult sexuality, the local sexpot who gets all the young boys' juices flowing. And, always, the innocence and naivete of Mauro is placed in direct apposition to the social upheaval and deadly-serious nature of the politics of the times, which come to play an ever more vital role as the story moves on.
"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" echoes earlier films like "The Two of Us," "The Revolt of Job," "Monsieur Ibrahim," etc., in which an abandoned, orphaned or wayward child is introduced to an alien culture - sometimes even his own - through the tender ministrations of an elderly caretaker. As a result, the movie doesn't always feel as fresh and original as one would like. Nevertheless, it does a nice job capturing the heartbeat and rhythm of this tight-knit community of Diasporic Jews who welcome Mauro in with open arms. The relationship between Mauro and Shlomo is painted in small, subtle strokes rather than bold melodramatic flourishes, while the sentimentality and life lessons are kept to a respectable minimum. Most touching, perhaps, is Michel Joelsas' astute portrayal of a boy left bewildered and wounded by the seeming indifference of a mother and father whose absence he has little capacity to fully comprehend. Germano Haiut is also understated and impressive as the initially cranky man who opens his heart to a lost soul - though, if the truth be told, the character lacks the complexity and depth afforded his counterparts in those previously mentioned films.
As with virtually all tales centered around a young boy's coming-of-age, the screenplay features an assortment of familiar character types and situations: the awkward first love, the doting extended family, the peephole that provides a tantalizing glimpse into the mysterious and forbidden world of adult sexuality, the local sexpot who gets all the young boys' juices flowing. And, always, the innocence and naivete of Mauro is placed in direct apposition to the social upheaval and deadly-serious nature of the politics of the times, which come to play an ever more vital role as the story moves on.