Children Of Heaven
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Movie Reviews of Children Of Heaven
Movie Review: A must-have
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I watched this movie, I thought that it would be difficult to understand because of the languange barrier. But this movie can be understood well because it uses more "pictures" than "words" to tell the tale.
There are many beautiful and heart-warming scenes with pictures speaking louder than words that you will definitely understand and enjoy.
My favorite scene is about how the brother and the sister rushed to collect the girl's shoes from another girl who live in another part of the neighborhood. However, after they found out that the father of the other girl was a poor, blind street-vendor, decided not to collect the shoes afterall. And they both walked slowly (less-enthusiastically) home.
The director (or the writer?) cleverly showed frame-by-frame that 'tells everything' through the pictures. No word was spoken (because they were not necessary) from the time the sister browsed around admiring her school-mates' shoes in the morning in the school yard and accidentally saw her lost pair of shoes worn by another girl, and then during school break she searched the whole school yard to find the current user of her lost shoes, and after school she followed the other girl to her home, and then in the afternoon accompanied by her brother, rushed to the other girl's home to collect the shoes, but then when they found out that the father of the other girl was a poor, blind street-vendor, decided not to collect the shoes, and walked home less-spiritedly. A genious' work of art.
Another beautiful scene is when the boy was sent by his mother to deliver a bowl of vegetable soup to their poorer next door neighbour. I mean, the boy's family was obviously poor, but they still have the 'capability' to share! And the neighbour tried to reciprocate that kind gesture by giving the boy whatever food they have left: a handful of dried beans.
There are many other super-smart, beautiful, heart-warming pictures in the movie. I bought it several years ago just because I was curious, then after I watched it, decided that I must have it in my library for my nieces and nephews and friends to see anytime. My old piece is nearly worn-out and I need to buy a new one to make sure that I can always see it when I feel like seeing a heart-warming movie.
Movie Review: Show this to your young children - its lessons are invaluable.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Children of Heaven" is sublime in its simplicity. To call it a feel-good movie does very little justice to it because it is so much more than that. It's a story of selflessness that's doubly admirable for it is shown by those who have so little to begin with. Having viewed a couple of Iranian director Majid Majidi's films (Baran, The Color of Paradise), I have become a fan of this extremely talented auteur.
The story centers on a young brother and his little sister, Ali and Zahra in Tehran. Ali takes Zahra's shoes for repair, the one and only pair she owns and wears to school. Ali becomes distracted on his way to the shoemaker and loses the shoes. Keeping the loss secret from their poor parents, the two decide to share Ali's sneakers, each taking turns wearing them to school. Zahra wears them in the morning and when classes are over, gives them to Ali so he can wear them to school in the afternoons. The exchanges are so comic and touching at the same time that you can't help but root for these kids. Soon after, Ali discovers there's a foot race his teacher is encouraging him to join, and the third-place prize is a brand new pair of sneakers! If only Ali can ensure he wins third place so he can replace Zahra's lost shoes! I'll stop right here and let you discover the rest of this wondrous story.
What is striking about this film is its realism. Never once did I feel I was watching actors on a staged set. These are real people in real places, speaking and interacting as real people do everyday. Nothing here is dramatized for effect. From the mundane events of everyday living to the sadness borne of mistakes, everything is genuine and palpable. It is not an art house film, but is no less artful or profound. Its simplicity is deceptive because it doesn't prepare you for the wallop of emotions you experience when it's over. And that ending...it was a perfect closing to a perfect story. Living in a country where we have so much that disposal of possessions becomes an issue, it is a timeless film that reminds us of what's truly important in life. Don't let the subtitles deter you; I encourage you to watch it, especially if you have young children to watch it with. It's just that good.
(Language: Farsi with English substitles)
Movie Review: Children of Heaven is Indeed a Film For All Families
Summary: 5 Stars
When I think about all the movies made in the U.S. in recent years that have been marketed as "family" films I find very few of them that can even begin to compare to the quality of "Children of Heaven". At first glance the story may seem slight and superficial: a boy from a very poor family loses his sister's only pair of sneakers and endeavours to replace them without having to place an additional financial burden on his hard working father. But even with that simple premise director Majid Majidi manages to bring so much depth and humanity to the story that you will almost want to go to your nearest cineplex and throw rocks at the marquee.
Majidi's choice of child actors in this film is a very good one. Their innocent faces register such a range of emotions over the course of the film I began to think that many adult actors should be watching this film and taking notes. Majidi's depiction of life in the poverty stricken areas of modern Tehran is also very well done and later in the film when father and son venture into the wealthy sections of the city the gulf between the haves and the have nots becomes all too apparent. But its in the simplest things that this film shows so much of its heart and reveals to us its larger truths: Ali trying to make amends to his sister by giving her a pen he has won at school, brother and sister having to share a pair of sneakers until Ali can find a way to replace the lost ones, the elation of the father at having found a new lucrative line of work as a gardener for the rich, the kids blowing bubbles as they wash the only pair of sneakers they own and so on. What really impressed me was the fact that Majidi can render these moments with such sublime humanity that he does so without being overly sentimental about it. Few Hollywood directors could do this without having to laden those scenes with tooth decaying sugary sweetness.
All in all this is a movie that can be enjoyed by just about anyone who cares for really good film making . And for those folks who are always complaining about the lack of films that depict "family values" you need look no further than "Children of Heaven". This has been my first foray into Middle Easten cinema and I can't wait to view more films by Majidi and his colleagues.
Movie Review: A Profoundly Honest, Simple Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Majid Majidi is a master craftsman. In CHILDREN OF HEAVEN he has written and directed a story so delicate and so genuinely human that it has few peers as a piece of filmmaking. He is able to see, and allow us to see, the world through the eyes of children. And as if that weren't enough, he has chosen the filial relationship between a brother and a sister that demonstrates just how profound love can be. Ali and Zahra are youngsters who maintain their family duties (living in a poverty section outside the city), serving their ill mother and overworked father and their infant sibling while continuing their education in their separate schools. The family is so poor that each member has only one pair of shoes and when Ali inadvertently loses Zahra's newly 'repaired' old shoes, he makes a pact with her that the two will share Ali's sneakers to spare the grief that the father would feel should he discover the truth - that no further shoes were affordable for Zahra. The two swallow pride, make sacrifices, and depend on each other as the one pair of old sneakers plays double duty. Each child attends a unisex school and these microcosms afford the study of the interplay of the two children as a metaphor for Iran society. Ultimately Ali finds a solution to gain a new pair of shoes for his sister by attempting to place THIRD in a long distance running race. The way that race plays out offers a somewhat surprise ending. This story is simple on the surface, but the insights into the poverty of Iran against the wealth in the major cities, the ability for a family to not only survive but make a family relationship so dear - these are the portions of magic that make this beautiful movie an experience that will please almost every viewer. The 'actors' will remain with you both as characters and as spirits long after the film is over. In Farsi with English subtitles.Movie Review: Watch this movie and it'll be one of your favorites..
Summary: 5 Stars
I rarely watch foreign films, especially those in non-english spoken word with english subtitles.. However, this movie was so highly rated by other users that I had to rent it and see what all the hype was about..The story line sounds simple and quite boring.. It's most definitely not..
You don't have to be a child like Ali or Zahra to understand the simplicity of love, truth and achieving goals.. Although this movie is set in a very low income area in Iran, it touches on the daily trials and tribulations that everyone around the world, rich or poor, have experienced several times in their lifetime.. Right from wrong, financial priorities, stress from things just not leaning your way and overall happiness..
Ali shows true concern for his family and others.. His mother is ill and Ali chooses to stay with her instead of playing with his friends.. His father becomes timid trying to find work in the city and Ali steps in to help him and ends up finding a job for him.. Of course Zahra needs shoes for school.. Ali accidentally lost the shoes, and makes every effort to find them or replace them.. This is the plot of the movie, but don't think that this movie will bore you because it's about a pair of shoes..
I have to honestly say out of the thousands of movies I've seen in my lifetime, this has to be one of the top ten.. Not for cinematography, special effects, soundtracks or Hollywood movie stars, but for the message, the portrayal, the feeling and the wonderful acting and depiction of feeling and thought with little to no words..
Rent this movie, you will not be disappointed.. When Ali falls down towards the end of the film, I was at the edge of my seat rooting for him with joy while crying with sadness at the same time.. This movie truly touches you.. If you have a heart, you won't just watch this movie, you will FEEL it..