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..
