Intimate Stories

In this lovely, delicate piece of filmmaking, three people in the windswept boondocks of Patagonia set out on unrelated journeys to the seaside town of San Julian. The aged Don Justo (Benedicti) has heard that his long-lost dog has been seen there. In an awkward attempt at flirtation, traveling salesman Roberto (Lombardo) plans to deliver a birthday cake to a female client's child. And Maria (Bravo) has been picked to appear on a local game show, where she hopes to win one of the decidedly less-than-glamorous prizes.

The plot is simple (the Spanish title is Historias Minimas, but the distributors must have blanched at selling Minimal Stories), but director Sorin makes a virtue of simplicity. He takes his time developing the characters, delivering quiet adjustments in our understanding of these people and their dreams. The material that could easily have been maudlin is, instead, genuinely moving. The crux of the film is Justo, and nonprofessional actor Benedicti has a wistful twinkle in his eye as he shuffles resolutely along the highway. Lombardo, the only professional in the cast, captures a salesman's mix of slick bravado and poignant neediness. Bravo is given less to do, and her story line is the least elaborated, but she gets a terrific moment at the end. And that's what Sorin delivers: small moments, sad or sweet or hopeful. (Opens Fri; Music Box.)—Hank Sartin