The kind of film America doesn't make any longer. My favorite actor, Ricardo Darin, is at his best once again. Soulful, sad, bitter and mistrustful, this frugal shopkeeper tends his tiny hardware store, making for a meager life living in the spartan rear apartment, but liking the solitude he craves more than anything. Into his very habitual and solitary life comes a Chinese total stranger who speaks no Spanish, and his life changes forever due to his charity to a fellow man in great need. At first, not for the best, but always hopeful. Story development was so well paced.......even, calm, quiet and reserved, just as the characters were, but as deeply moving as it was believable. No gimmicks, no gadgets, no fake steps, just a simple and honest human story well told and acted.Excellent acting from the 3 leads, truly honest, with Darin shining as bright as ever with soul leaking from every pore, as is his trademark, and what makes him one of the world's greatest actors.In my long life I have often questioned the brotherhood of man, but this is the kind of story that makes one feel that it can and does exist. Don't miss this story, and be better off for it.

The first thing I want to comment on is about the color. This film used a lot of cool colors, despite of a few break-ins when warm-hearted Mari showed up in the movie with her red dresses and beautiful smiles. Nevertheless, this elegant movie was filled with warm passions which were initially suppressed but beautifully expressed by its characters at the later part of the film, which made this film unbelievably touching. All the major characters in the film seemed frustrated in their individual search of love. Jun was lost in a foreign country and searching for his uncle who could give him new hope of living. Roberto was burdened by a very sad memory that his beloved father died from a unbearable shock that his only son was on the battlefield of a war. Mari was making every effort to open Roberto's heart but could hardly make any progress... These characters didn't talk much in the whole film, but showed us so many deep emotions. They came together seemingly by accident, but with sincere hearts, they fixed each other's problem in a blessing way. This film made me cry, because it is simply made but successfully conveyed profound human emotions.Thank for everyone who was involved in making this beautiful film.

If it were not written at the beginning of the film - based on a true story - the film lover might think: This is the Argentian version of "Amelie"- a film used by so many to seduce a beloved one. Poetic movie about life which tells the most incredible stories. Human and optimistic in its tone we follow the transformation of a pedantic, closed, lonesome hardware dealer back into society by the by chance encounter with an Chinese immigrant. As hard as the hardware dealer tries to be a lonesome wolf - he has the heart on the right place and continues to help his stranded Chinese. This encounter with the young Chinese helps him to unlock his daily routines.

Very good movie. Intense from the beginning to the end. Crafted with few resources, as were done the movies in the good times of the Nouvelle Vague. Few resources in terms of few actors, few places where the scenes where recorded, no special effects, stunts, wreckage etc, and at the same time, an outstanding existential weight. Existential weight in the sens that each minute in the film is meaningful and cannot be lost. Ricardo Darin is again a great actor. Muriel Santa Ana inspires beauty and sensuality being very simple all the time. Ignacio Huang is dramatic in spite that no one understand what he says. In short, a film which suggests that it is good to plan some place for wisdom in our lives.