Children Of Heaven
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Movie Reviews of Children Of Heaven
Movie Review: Truly beautiful, simple and yet remarkable...
Summary: 5 Stars
Bacheha-Ye aseman (Children of Heaven)It was with some trepidation that I popped this DVD into the player - it was, after all, my first venture into Iranian cinema, so I was a little unsure what to expect.
I am used to, and for the most part, enjoy foreign films. They open up an incredible world of cinema that one would otherwise miss.
After five minutes, it was fairly evident that this film was something a bit special.
The story is simple. While at market shopping, Ali loses his sisters school shoes. After desperately trying in vain to find them, he decides that he and his sister will share his sneakers, meeting her after to school each day to recover them from her, in order to get to school himself.
That is pretty much a synopsis of the entire movie. It doesn't end there however...
This film is played with such beauty and innocence; it is a true pleasure to watch. Mohammad Amir Naji plays Ali with such incredible depth and passion, one is completely drawn into his plight. From the start of the film, we see the relationship between brother and sister, played with equal warmth by Bahare Seddiqi, strained as he explains how he lost her shoes. The sorrow on Ali's face, and Zahra's tears at the news, are truly heartbreaking to watch. The expressions on the faces of the children are so genuine, it is clear that spending a cinematic hour and half will be a pleasure, albeit not an easy one.
We see Ali and his Father looking for work as gardeners. From the outset it is clear that Ali's Father is strict, but it is also evident he loves his son dearly, and the simple exchange of smiles as they find their first job is heart-warming, and totally believable.
Cycling through the city, it is very striking that there is a clear division between rich and poor. We are watching a boy, to afraid to tell his father of the loss of a pair of shoes, riding through streets with billboards advertising cell phones, into rural areas where houses with swimming pools, ornate architecture and luxury are rife.
There is so much in Western civilisation that we take for granted. What to us are simple daily belongings to others is pure decadence. Aside from anything else, this film is a window into a world so many of us do not understand.
Simple things bring Ali pleasure, blowing bubbles, swinging on swings with his new found friend, the smiles and laughter of the children is absorbing.
Later in the film we see Ali enter a race in order to win a pair of brand new sneakers for his sister. To win them, he must come third. Again we see the division of wealth, as Ali races through the streets, the thoughts and images of his sister swirling in his head, and on screen, while at the same time, parents of other children film the race on camcorders, all the time Ali running, fighting for the shoes he needs so desperately.
The film is directed perfectly, and the credit for this goes to Majid Majidi, whose films have won acclaim worldwide. There are no special effects, no luxurious settings. There are times when the film feels like a documentary in the direction, and that works in its favour. This film would make an excellent introduction into the world of foreign cinema. Throughout the movie, the expressions and emotions displayed by the children speak far louder than any dialogue ever could.
The film is not dialogue intensive, and one could easily watch the film, and understand the story, even without the aid of subtitles. This film was nominated for an Academy Award, and it not difficult to see why.
Ignoring for a moment the subtitles and language barriers, since they are not overly crucial to the film, this is a story of true innocence, and tugs hard at the heartstrings, sometimes to breaking point. The portrayal of the children is gentle, warm and absolutely believable, and one cannot help but be drawn into this tale, as it gently unwinds. It is sometimes tough to watch the emotions played out, but ultimately, worth every second.
Missing this film, particularly if simply put off by the fact it is foreign language, would a sad deprivation of the senses and the heart. It is not just a film, it is an experience, and one that is completely passionate, and totally unforgettable.
I truly cannot recommend this highly enough. It is widely available on DVD or VHS - rent it, borrow it or buy it - you will be glad that you did!
Reviewed by Ollie
Movie Review: Back To The Good Things
Summary: 5 Stars
In a place where movie ratings aren't decided by drugs, sex, and violence are films like Children of Heaven. This is a movie that you could bring home on a Friday night to sit down and watch with your family and not have to worry about negative images filling the minds and eyes of the people around you. Children of Heaven is a great movie that not only children will enjoy but adults as well. This film, directed by Majid Majidi, is an instant classic that not only gives a sneak peek inside the life of another culture but teaches a lesson about our own as well. Children of Heaven should be at the top of everyone's list because it is a simple movie you can easily watch with the family without having to worry about them seeing things they shouldn't and because while showing us the life of a young boy and his family we also see the ways we should live our own.
The film begins by showing us the difficult family life of the main character Ali. Ali is a young child who comes home to a hard working family with little money to show for it. We first begin to realize their hardships as we listen to a heated argument between Ali's mother and their tenant over the late rent due that month. It's there we get our first real look at the life of this little boy. His home is little more than a room lined with blankets and pillows, a life much different than what we know. His simple ways are turned upside down however when he loses his sisters shoes after they are accidentally picked up by a trash collector on his way home from getting them repaired by the cobbler. His sister frantically asks how she will go to school the following day with no shoes to wear. Ali quickly deciphers a plan in which she will wear his sneakers and he will meet her on her way home to exchange his slippers with her so he too can wear sneakers to school. This results in tardiness for Ali as well as frustration for his sister. At one point, Ali runs in a foot race hoping to take third place to win a pair of sneakers, but is utterly crushed when he finishes first and receives more impressive awards. Eventually, the movie ends with its problems solved, leaving both Ali and his sister walking in the comfort of their own shoes.
Today, to be classified as a children's movie means that it is: either filled with animated characters battling each other to ensure the safety of earth, or cartoon animals fighting man to ensure the existence of their rainforest. A movie like Children of Heaven is one that takes us away from that, to a place where real people live in a real world full of love and family instead of hate and violence. The instant problem most have with the movie is that it is filmed within another culture and therefore is spoken in another language. Of course, all of the dialogue is subtitled and I will admit that draws away from the beautiful backgrounds spread throughout the movie, but what's wrong with having to read occasionally. It doesn't present any big problem to adults, and their words are ones that children will not have trouble understanding. A movie like this, filled with tolerance and understanding instead of sex and hate is one that children can both enjoy and learn from.
Children of Heaven is such an important movie for not only children but everyone to watch because it shows us a life much different from the one we live. For most of us, the idea of having to choose between having shoes or food is a foreign one. The room that Ali calls home is nothing more than a shed where we would only think to put our lawnmower. Seeing the story of this little boy played out on screen is not only entertaining but it also shows us how we should write the story of ourselves. Maybe driving the fastest car and having the nicest clothes aren't the dreams we should be chasing, but instead we should simply try to find happiness, peace, and most of all contentness.
Children of Heaven is a movie I thoroughly enjoyed, and would recommend to anyone not just because it's a great movie for families, or because of its educational value, but because it simply is a great movie.
Movie Review: Stars Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Children of Heaven
A lost pair of sneakers left an enjoyable adventure for two young children. Ali is eight years old and a huge helper in his family of five. His family is poor and doesn't have a lot of money, but they are very happy. The director made this clear to the audience by showing the family living in a small home with no furniture. He showed the family eating dinner together and joking around with one another. Money does not need to be a part of a family to make them happy.
In the beginning of the film Ail goes to town to fix up his younger sisters sneakers. He then ventures on to pick up some food for the family. He sets down the sneakers while he shops around. A blind elderly man picks them off and walks away. Zahra, Ali's younger sister, was without a pair of sneakers. Ail felt so bad that he had just lost his sisters only pair of sneakers. What was he going to do? This is where all the adventure begins. Ail and Zahra cannot let their father find out about this because he would be very upset. Ail knew his father did not have money right now for a new pair of sneakers for his sister.
Ail and Zahra came up with a plan to share Ali's sneakers for school. Zahra went to school in the mornings, and Ail went in the afternoon. Zahra would run home from school so Ail would have time to get back for his class. Even though Ail didn't always make it to class on time, he still made the sacrifice for his sister. In this movie it is all about these two siblings getting along together, and making sacrifices for each other. I like that a lot about this movie. In most movies the siblings are always fighting, and that's not how all households work. Siblings can become best friends. It is how I am with my sister.
Ail made some good attempts to try and get Zahra a new pair of sneakers. This film will make you chuckle and cry at the same time. There are some mean kids in this film that try and come in Ali's way. Ail is a strong boy and overcomes these roadblocks. Ali's father takes on some extra work intern making some extra money. Ail tells his father, "Buy Zahra some new sneakers, hers are getting old." Ali's father made a perfect ending and surprises his children by coming home with a new pair of sneakers for both of them.
Children of Heaven will leave you with a new perspective on non-English films. The film is set in Iran and spoken in Persian. The faces of these actors will stay in your head for days. The young children are adorable. The maturity and smarts of the children with surprise you. Children have so many young idea's, it's fun to watch them in action. The whole movie is in subtitles, so it is for kids who are able to read and I believe that many adults would enjoy this film. It's a cute film that all kinds of family's would enjoy.
I personally really enjoyed this movie. I liked that the little boy Ail felt so bad about loosing his sister's sneakers. He was so determined to get her new ones as soon as he could. It really showed the siblings caring for each other. I love little kids and the children in this movie just make me want to play with them. The children are very well behaved and responsible. More family's need to adopt this kind of lifestyle. In America today we spoil are kids way too much. I would definitely recommend this movie to people all over the word.
Movie Review: Something out of of the ordinary for American viewers, a welcome change
Summary: 5 Stars
If there's something to be said about foreign films, it is that they convey a different viewing experience. The actors, directors, writers, and producers have different value systems, a different sense of humor, and thematic material that we rarely get in American movies.
Don't get me wrong, I love American cinema, but it doesn't hurt to see something a little different from time to time. That's where Children of Heaven comes in.
Zohre is a young Iranian school girl who has a pair of old, pink shoes. Her brother Ali picks them up from a shoe repairman. But due to an unfortunate turn of events, the shoes are lost. Now Zohre has no shoes to wear when she goes to school and the childrens' father does not have enough money to buy her a new pair. The children do not want to worry and embarrass him by asking him to buy a new pair, and they do not want to be punished, so they use the same pair of shoes.
Getting to school becomes a dramatic ordeal, as the two children start class at different times and have to race back and forth so that both of them may arrive at school with shoes on their feet.
There are interesting events that take place in school, there are well done interactions between the two children and their parents, and the movie remains interesting throughout.
Some people might be a little impatient with what is commonly referred to as "chick flicks." And these same people might enjoy action a lot more than conversation and find overly emotional, melodramatic romance intolerable.
Still, I think even these people will really enjoy this movie. There's no violence, but the movie develops in such an artful manner, that the viewer becomes genuinely concerned with the plight of the brother and the sister who share a single pair of shoes.
Some reviewers have disparaged the movie as being about boring subject matter. However, sometimes the kind of struggle that regular people have to go through can be more meaningful than the monstrous battles and other epic events we see in most movies.
As an American that has no first hand experience with the middle east or middle eastern culture, I enjoyed seeing the humanity of Iranian children and the interactions between husband and wife that are too often portrayed in a stereotypical, and probably somewhat unrealistic light, by the American media.
I recommend this movie as a welcome change (even if the change is only temporary) from what we usually see with American cinema. Check it out, it's fun.
Movie Review: Simple story with a lot of heart
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not a typical Hollywood type of movie with people getting killed, lots of drama, huge mysteries to be solved, over-paid actors `gracing' the public with their faces, or over the top sets. This film would never see the light of day in Hollywood production studios. In fact, the film and story is extremely simple yet that is what makes it such a pleasant movie to watch. It's a story that could happen to anyone. A little boy from an extremely poor family is sent out to run errands. One of the errands is to take his little sisters pink slippers to the menders to have them sewn up (since they can't afford a new pair for her). While completing his last errand at the food market, a merchant accidentally picks up the pair of slippers while loading his cart with scrap paper. The little girl's slippers are gone forever. The children are faced with a dilemma now. The family can hardly afford to feed themselves no less pay for a new pair of shoes, and their father would be livid at the fact that the shoes were taken. What's a child to do? Go barefoot? Well, the children develop a cleaver plan to solve the problem. Though their plan works initially, it proves to be a bit tricky and laboring to fall through on a long term basis. The boy then takes drastic measures in getting his little sister a pair of shoes; motivated the whole time through his love for her.
It's the little things that make this movie great. It has wonderful acting, a lot of feeling and warmth, and a message at the end that good things happen to good people after all. You can truly feel the love between the brother and sister. Though this family lives in the poorest conditions they're still happy. The children get the highest grades in their classes, and their values and morals are impeccable. Another thing I love about this film is it brought me into a whole different culture and world with different traditions and way of living that I know so very little of.
There are a lot of spoilt children I wouldn't mind showing this film to. It shows children that you don't need a lot to still be a good person. Children in our culture concern themselves on whether or not they have the newest video game or the latest toy that's out. The children in this movie had so very little yet they were still happy, well educated, and respectful.