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It's been a year now since Benjamin's (Alex Rabin) wife has died from
cancer, and despite assertions to the contrary, he has not come over her
dead one bit. But now he's finally doing a step in the right direction,
inasmuch as he rents out his wife's room to a tenant - Valentina (Kristin
West), a life-affirming woman he immediately takes a(n innocent) liking to
- also because she collects stones, just like his wife did, and who seems
to be a very uncomplicated person so he can talk to her about everything,
and also unrooted enough (she has been cast out by her family) to come
without much emotional baggage ... and after three days, she's gone
without a trace. At first, Benjamin is merely surprised and at best mildly
worried, but when he checks at the shop she was supposed to work and finds
out she never did, and no locals seem to have actually ever seen her, he's
not sure anymore whether he's chasing a runaway or a ghost anymore, but
the less successful he is, the more desparate he gets ... while friends
and family think he suffers from illusions caused by his inability to cope
with the death of his wife ... Seeking Valentina is a
very unusual movie, inasmuch as it blends elements of psychological drama,
psycho thriller and ghost story in a rather unique way, and into a moody
story that is intentionally slow moving and spectacle free, but is carried
by strong and intentionally confusing story, an atmospheric directorial
effort, and a very fine cast of course. Again, not a spectacle movie,
but definitely worth one's while.
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