"The New York Times's" Dave Kehr seems to like the film (he says nothing negative about it) but does make the case that the director panders to the audience a bit. He wrote, "film has become all too familiar in the art houses: the cute child who awakens the cranky grown-ups around him to the infinite possibilities of life...neglects few opportunities to pander to its public...[and soon enough the bouncy pop score takes over again, and "Valentín" returns to its true business, tugging at well-worn heart strings."