I have watched this Iranian film maker’s two beautiful films- ‘Baran’ & ‘Father’ few months ago & he just bowled me over with his simple style of sensible film making portraying natural human emotions with universal themes. Thanks to Star Movies for showing this gem movie yesterday. It’s an experience I can’t express or justify in words.Can any director make such a sensitive & sensible film on such a simple theme of stolen shoes? It’s one of the best foreign films I ever seen. The movie was also nominated in Oscar in Best foreign film category; why it didn’t win is a puzzling question.
What a simple & beautiful plot!
Ali takes his little sister’s Zahra’s shoes for repairing work, but loses them on the way home. The siblings decide to keep it a secret from their parents, not because they have fear of punishment but knowing that there is no money to buy a new pair. They make a joint settlement to share Ali’s sneakers: Zahra will wear them to school in the morning & return them off to Ali at midday so he can attend afternoon school. This arrangement leads to one after another troubles & adventures but yet they remain successful to hide their plan & secret from everybody.
Majid Majidi is not only director but an artist hard to find in today’s world & there’s so much purity & honesty in his natural cinema. With this he will stay in my favorite directors’ list permanently.My god what natural expressions & acting he got from two little children- Amir Hashemian (Ali) & Bahare Seddiqi( Zohra). One more thing noticeable in Majidi’s cinema is beautiful & symbolic Poetic ending. It is a scene to feel when the shoal of fish trying to touch the bruised feet of Ali !!!
A Masterpiece of Majid Majidi & Iranian Cinema.
Ratings- 10/10
3 comments:
i also have seen this movie on star movies, and it is special bcz this is one of those movies, which i watched with whole of my family......u know how tough it is to watch an english stuff with ur family!!!
u said it right, its the best subtlety i have ever come across. the movie is throughout wonderful. teary eyes of both the kids, talking thru the homework copy, shoe falling in drain and the eagerness with which she tries to catch it, ali waiting for his sis, in that lane, and she running wildly towards her home, and the ending.....ali dipping his feet in the fish pond.....WOW!!! The way the kids were concerned for their family and their financial condition is one of the best thing portrayed by majidi. the concern can be seen thru their eyes. really, it needs an utter genius to make such a thing. really, 10/10 for the vision and also 10/10 for its accomplishment.
jus after the movie ended, i searched the imdb and couldnt believe that this movie hasnt been able to bag an oscar. but, then i saw the complete list of oscar winner that year.
remember, when roger federar was on top and rafa was jus unable to beat him in many matches, then once he accepted- "i am really unlucky that i am contemporary to roger federar....he is god on grass court, and i tried my best but couldnt beat him". i dont think anyone can dream of a better compliment from any person in this world. it makes winner as well the loser, victorious and great.
the same thing is applicable for COH. u see, that year, life is beautiful also got nominated, and COH lost to LIB. well, it again makes both of them a great.
thanx abhi...i didnt know that Life is Beautiful also nominated the same year & thats the reason why Children of Heaven didnt win...its revealing n yeh ur nice comparison of rafa/federar too...
keep postin...
great film. another masterpiece from the master Majid Majidi... Oscars mean nothing, watch Iranian cinema to really know what film making is all about!
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