Sad and cruel tale of life on the streets of Buenos Aires. The kids who live and work the Central Station fall prey to vicious and corrupt men, who take everything that the kids manage to get from begging, street performing, or prostitution. This kind of story has been told before, but seldom as powerfully as this. The story centers around a 13 year old boy, named after a famous tango singer that he imitates while begging on the train; Pola is played by the super-talented and beautiful Abel Ayala, and he gives his character so much depth and feeling, that you can't help but care about what happens to him. The facial expressions on this guy are just amazing, and must be seen to understand. Feelings of pain and sadness, and then total bliss at something so minor as a kind word or a look from the girl he loves, can light up the screen, like magic. His girl, a prostitute a bit older than him, is played by the stunning Marina Glazer, and Pelu and Pola make a beautiful couple, as they let nothing destroy their dreams of finding a better world. The film is a bit harder than i expected, and it is difficult to watch in places, as the kids are treated so terribly, by those around them. Little Polaquito gets beaten and bloodied many times, leaving this viewer to wonder how anybody could beat and abuse somebody that sweet. The Central Station is suitably dark and sleazy, with it's pimps, drug pushers and filthy toilets, but the two young lovers manage to turn it into a kind of amusement park, and to treat their desperate situation like a game. I guess this is a film about the power of the human spirit. Expertly filmed and directed, and the performances are all around superb. "El Polaquito" is a wonderful and unforgettable gem of a movie..

El polaquito is a young boy that lives in the streets of Buenos Aires and survives by singing tangos. When he fells in love to a prostitute called Pelu. He will try to rescue her from the Argentinian mafia, but he will not think about the consequences. Well the movie can be considered as a show of the living of the homeless kids of the big cities, but that's all. Neither the actors plays a decent part, and the story is typical and totally unsurprising. Being a film of claim and protest, "City of God" from Meirelles is much better, and being some kind of love story, there a lots of better ones. I think there are many better ways to spend two hours.

"El polaquito" is probably the best movie in Desanzo's filmography.A thirteen years old boy who lives in the central station of Buenos Aires falls in love with Pelu, a young girl in the very same situation, three years older than him. But this innocent love is surrounded by a dark and heavy atmosphere of corrupt people who takes advantage of the children living in the streets. Challenged by limit situations, and also by cruel and violent people, this boy keeps believing in love. A great work by Abel Ayala (Polaquito), Marina Glezer (Pelu) and Fernando Roa (Vieja). A very nice photography and tango atmosphere help to make this movie something really worthy.

Based on a true story. A teenager about age 13 falls in love with a hooker (age 16) in a train station. Both are severely treated by a man who used them. The boy sings in train imitating a famous tango singer "El Polaco". The performance of the boy (who is not an actor) is great. You have to see his face, his eyes, his expressions to confirm this. It is a boy from the streets. The other non professional actor, that was also a homeless, is good too. And the actress is in the line of the story. This is a very cruel movie, hard to see. But it must be seen. To tell you the truth, I was shocked after watching it. Must be seen, honestly.