Children of Heaven (1997)

Children of Heaven, which is Iran's selection for best foreign film at the Academy Awards, is a very good movie mainly because anyone in this world can relate to the topic of family and showing love to each other no matter the living circumstances. As an Iranian film, it is definitely played safe but a film with such an universal theme and elegantly told as here should really not be missed, especially by movie-lovers.

Majid Majidi's film is about a young boy named Ali who accidentally lost his sister Zahra's shoes. But their family can ill afford to buy new shoes, Ali decides to share his shoes with his sister until he can get new ones for her and so he can avoid punishment.

The acting is pretty good, and pretty heartfelt. There is no questioning the chemistry between Amir Farrokh Hashemian as Ali and Bahare Seddiqi as Zahra. Reza Naji who plays as their father is also good as the man who is trying to do all he can to provide food for his family.

Overall, Children of Heaven is a simple film but it displays a strong message about the bond of family. There are some talented films from the Middle East and this is one of them. It's a strong film about courage and about doing what's right. My favorite scene is where the father and the son leave their poor slums as they head uptown to the rich neighborhoods. This film shows how American kids are vastly different than kids from these parts of the world.....and not exactly in a good way. This film is a little too simple for me, but there is no denying how powerful this film is. I rate this film 8/10.

Fmovies: I just saw this film in South Korea at a church. The film is spoken in Farsi, the subtitles were in Korean. It didn't matter that I couldn't understand a single word, because the cinematography and the faces of the children, their parents and the other cast members did all the talking. A wonderful film that dispelled my notions of Tehran as a dark and forbidding place - actually it's quite beautiful! We Americans have not seen Iran since 1979 and it is my hope that soon we can restore relations again. I wouldn't mind visiting.

This translates to MUST-SEE! It's a credulous incredible storytelling of a young brother and sister in Tehran, and the adventurous saga around one very important pair of sneakers.

The two young actors are amazing -- they play their guileless naïve sensitivity with such earnestness! Central character, Ali, the 9 year old brother, is Mir Farrokh Hashemian, who really carried the film with his legwork, and the younger sister Zahra is Bahareh Seddiqui, who contributed her restrained share of screen presence. The pair is so natural: those furrowed faces, anxious knitted brows -- the range of sad faces the two came up with! The bond between the brother and sister is so warm and joyful - in spite of misfortunes.

The storyline is seemingly simple. Such story-weaving knack writer-director Majid Majidi has -- he can make chasing along a streaming gutter into an intense dramatic episode! The story has the texture likened to a Thomas Hardy novel (poverty setting, episode after episode, turn of events), yet such a relishingly simple delivery. He doesn't have to tell it all on the screen -- little nuances and observations suffice.

It's heartening to see young children who are polite and respectful to their elders, responsible and caring in dealing with their everyday problems, and not give up -- such quiet fortitude in spite of disappointments, such tolerance of their circumstance yet still able to find joy in little things. We catch a smile here and there, e.g., when they enjoy the impromptu soap bubbles, or when he encouraged his sister by giving her small tokens.

This is an absolute gem of a family (value) film. Children's emotions untapped, yet adults are not left out -- touches of grown-up connections: the parents, the elderly couple next door, the shop-owners, all made this world very real.

The camerawork, and the well-designed use of sound mixed with accompanying music (different tonal quality instruments were applied) complemented this cinematic experience. A poetic ending -- there's a serenity about it all.

I hope "Children of Heaven" will win this year's 71st Academy Award Best Foreign Film Oscar -- it will receive its due exposure and more people will experience this gem.

Along the lines of poverty and shoes, I thought of the Italian 1978's "The Tree of the Wooden Clogs" by writer-director Ermanno Olmi. And, on a story with substance and good acting by an Iranian young boy, there's 1989's "Bashu, The Little Stranger", by writer-director Bahram Beizai. Both are movies to be appreciated.

Children of Heaven fmovies. What a marvelous thing film can be. It can touch us and open our hearts to a culture that is both different and familiar to ours. CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, a film by Iranian filmmaker, Majid Majidi, takes us into the world of a little boy and his sister, letting us feel the love and trust that they have in each other. The boy, through no fault of his own, loses his little sister's newly repaired school shoes the day before she needs them. It becomes their secret. They try sharing a pair of his sneakers -- the girl wearing them in the morning and he in the afternoon to school. The wonderful, innocent faces of the beautiful Iranian children and their code of honor, even in poverty, provides the bases for a very uplifting tale of children trying to overcome a crisis. The direction, cinematography, music are all outstanding -- but it is the children that you will fall in love with. Well worth picking up on DVD (though there are no "Extras" to speak of).

Majid Majidi is a genius. He is a director and actor of great talent. This film presents a sweet story of a brother and sister, their bond and their unique solution to solving the problem of a pair of lost shoes. The child actors are adorable and utterly convincing and the production of the film is of such quality that you get lost in watching it. The story itself is humorous, at times, and inspiring. Though the premise may be simple, each scene is infused with such passion, beauty and emotion that the experience of viewing this film is anything but simple. To all who have yet to view the film, take note of the very last scene.

............................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FL

It's easy to understand why there are over 100 reviews of "Children of Heaven". Normally, that simple fact would have dissuaded me from adding a review of my own. But, as I'm sure others have felt, this film so overwhelmed me with joy, I feel obligated to share my feelings with all who would listen!

After watching "Children", it occurred to me that I have, perhaps, never seen an Iranian film I didn't like. This film celebrates the essence and innocence of youth, with an unencumbered intensity, with such unpretentious panache, that any comparison to American films that make an effort along similar lines, regrettably, seem rather empty, almost laughable in comparison.

The fierce sibling rivalry so familiar in the majority of American movies is replaced here by a warm, caring fraternal relationship based on love, consideration, self-sacrifice and mutual respect. These little Muslim children demonstrate the most exemplary of true Christian behavior in both word and deed. I hope that here, in America, this opinion can be stated clearly, in a review such as this one, without fear of provoking a mindless outpouring of reactionary negative clicks.

I feel more than a tinge of remorse, even embarrassment, when I think of the millions of Iranians who see far too many American films where children are portrayed, more often than not, as selfish, wise-cracking, foul-mouthed, bullying, disrespectful, totally inconsiderate little brats. To make matters worse, this abhorrent behavior is too often viewed as copacetic, or worse, even exemplary, something that kids today often strive to imitate.

Some have commented that "Children" seems incomplete or leaves them feeling somewhat bewildered or left them hanging in mid-air. All I can say to them is just reflect carefully for a moment on the value systems of the kids in the movie...maybe then you will be able to feel much more satisfied with this great cinematic experience.

10*....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!.....KissEnglishPasto@Yahoo.com