VLAFF 2014: Lion’s Heart offers a charming story of an unusual romance

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      Lion's Heart (Argentina)

      When Buenos Aires lawyer Ivana Cornejo gets a voicemail message from Leόn Godoy, she is taken aback at the sound of his voice.

      The charismatic stranger on the other end of her land line turns out to be the man in possession of her lost cell phone, and after a long conversation between the two, they agree to meet.

      Their story continues to unfold from there in an unusual fashion, including a scene when the two go skydiving during what turns out to be their first date.

      But what Ivana couldn’t tell from their initial telephone encounter is that Leόn is just four-foot six-inches tall. The dramatic height difference, and the reactions of passersby who keep referring to him as a dwarf, lead to some drama for the pair.

      The filmmakers used CGI to create the short lead character, played by Argentinian comedian Guillermo Francella, which sometimes leads to some odd optics. It also has a few cheesy moments, like the scene where Leόn goes soul-searching in a paraglider over the tourist sites of Rio de Janeiro.

      Yet overall, Lion’s Heart (Corazόn de Leόn), is a lovely and funny portrayal of an offbeat romance, and a story that also deals with serious issues like prejudice.

      The comedic performances from lead actors Francella and Julieta Diaz effectively draw in viewers from the first moments of the film, and keep us rooting for the couple.

      The romantic comedy has done so well in its home country that it was one of the top grossing films in Argentina last year, and it’s sure to charm Canadian audiences as well.

      Lion’s Heart will screen at 7 p.m. as part of the opening night gala of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival on Thursday (August 28) at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at SFU Woodward's.

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