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'Innocent Voices' crying to be heard

A history lesson on the 1980s El Salvador civil war and a story of children caught in the crossfire combine in Luis Mandoki's Innocent Voices.

It's a stark, but sentimental account from Oscar Torres, one of the youngsters lucky enough to survive the bloodshed.

BB Entertainment 'Innocent Voices' B- The verdict: A stark personal history of Salvadoran civil war. Director: Luis Mandoki Starring: Carlos Padilla, Leonor Varela, Xuna Primus, Gustavo Munoz, Jose Maria Yazpik Run time: 120 minutes Release date: Oct. 14, 2005 Rating: R for disturbing violence and some language. See showtimes On the web Official movie site Rate 'Innocent Voices'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

First seen a year ago at the Toronto International Film Festival, the movie has had difficulty finding distribution in the United States, perhaps because of its depiction of American troops training and aiding the murderous Salvadoran army.

Torres' alter ego is 11-year-old Chava (wily, adorable Carlos Padilla), who lives in a village situated between the warring factions, with his hardworking seamstress mother and sister.

With his father absent, Chava is the man of the house, a role that he will probably not hold onto long, since the army drafts all boys out of school at the age of 12.

Chava is a typically stubborn lad, not eager to obey his mother, who fears for his life in the gunfire that occurs nightly after curfew. By day, he helps the meager household treasury by working on the local bus, calling out the stops.

Mandoki has a strong visual sense for the chaos of warfare, and the episodic screenplay keeps coming up with perilous incidents in a film that gives the emotions quite a workout.