The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
August 2008 Reviewed by: Rad Bennett Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

This is the second film I have seen in a month about boys who are separated from their mothers. The other is Under the Same Moon. Both are enjoyable coming-of-age movies, yet each seems to miss true greatness by being overly cautious in the presentation of its subject, especially the boys’ adversities.

The setting for this film is Brazil, 1970. A young boy, Mauro (Michel Joelsas), is told by his parents that he must stay with his grandfather for a while because they are going "on vacation." He is left at his grandfather’s door, only to discover that the man has just died. Alone and despondent, he is taken in by his grandfather’s neighbor, Shlomo (Germano Haiut). Shlomo is an Orthodox Jew and a bachelor by choice, but he warms to the boy and they gradually bond. The tomboy Hanna (Daniela Piepszyk) is the entrepreneur of the neighborhood, selling the boys in her block glimpses through a peephole into a clothing store where women will hopefully be undressing.

The whole country is wild about soccer and follows every move of the Brazilian team, which stands to win its third World Cup. On days of big matches, all the stores close as everyone gathers around a television set to watch the game. The sport seems the only unifying spirit in a country struggling under military rule, and everyone from the kid on the street to the Orthodox rabbis watches the games. The shots of these fans whooping it up are perhaps the most memorable in the movie.

Mauro loves soccer, too, but he loves his parents more. They had promised to be back on the day of the big final soccer match, and when they don’t show up, he throws a tantrum, tossing furniture around. He also interrupts a soccer game with his friends when he sees an automobile that looks like his family’s VW bug, abandoning his goalie position and chasing the car through the streets until he finds it is the wrong vehicle.

Mauro’s parents, of course, did not go on vacation. They are communists sent to prison. During his year of discovery, the boy meets several other dissidents, and Shlomo becomes close with one of them in order to find the boy’s mother and father. This is where cinematic caution reigns. Yes, there is a scene of the communist supporters in Mauro’s new neighborhood being arrested, but it all seems toned down. Mauro seems blissfully unaware of the political climate, and that doesn’t seem realistic for an 11- or 12-year-old. When the boy does finally realize what is happening, his reaction seems less than it should be.

The picture here is bright, colorful, and very detailed. There are a lot of older people in the Jewish community where Mauro lands, and the wrinkled faces, so full of character, are lovingly examined in close-ups that look very realistic. The sound is mostly up front, rich and full with good bass. There are a couple of scenes where the sound design opens up and the back speakers are used to great effect. In one scene in particular, where Mauro roams the empty streets while everyone else is inside watching soccer, the audio mix is very effective. The sounds of fireworks and celebration come from the back and sides, heightening the image of Mauro alone.

The extras, subtitled, are OK but not very extensive or probing. There are very brief interviews with the major cast members, a production featurette that is a little more interesting than the norm, and a few expanded scenes. Both the International and US trailers are presented, and they were the best supplements for me. I found it fascinating to compare such different approaches to selling the same film.

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is a charming, nostalgic movie that is quite entertaining and heartwarming. But inside it there seems to be a greater film struggling to be seen and heard. There are so many things right about this movie, only director Cao Hamburger’s second feature, that perhaps the third time will be the charm.

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