There's no shortage of over-the-top cinema at theaters this weekend; yes, we're talking about the monster flick "The Host" and the he-man tale "300." But if you're looking for a different movie experience (you've seen "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland," good for you!), there's "The Italian," screening at the Doris Duke Theatre.

Here's what Orange County (Calif.) Register reviewer Craig Outhier had to say:

Director Andrei Kravchuk paints an ominous portrait of his native Russia in "The Italian," a stark yet firmly endearing tale of abandonment and boyish pluck. Along the way, Kravchuk coaxes a fantastic performance out of child actor Kolya Spiridonov, playing 6-year-old orphan Vanya Solntsev. With his humble, self-possessed manner, Vanya makes for a preposterously adorable munchkin-saint. Little wonder that a childless Italian couple put dibs on him during a visit. (Jealous, the other orphans dub him "the Italian.")

Vanya is at peace with his imminent adoption until a chance meeting with a woman who comes to the orphanage looking for the child she surrendered years ago. In the woman's tears, Vanya sees the reflection of his own never-met mother, and panics. What if she, too, comes looking for him?

In the best tradition of redemptive storytelling, the filmmakers leave a sliver of hope that this adrift, dissipated culture may yet find its way home.