NOT ONE LESS

NOT ONE LESS - 2000

RATED - G

AWARDS - Many awards & nominations at various film festivals.

RATINGS - 69 Amazon (4.5/5), Roger Ebert (3/4), 2,942 IMBD (7.5/10)

THEMES - Persistence, love, relationships, overcoming obstacles.

STORY - NOT ONE LESS is in the same category as CHILDREN OF HEAVEN and THE COLOR OF PARADISE. If you like children (especially adorable Chinese children), are interested in education (anybody who's ever been a substitute teacher will definitely identify with Wei-students are no different in rural China than anywhere else when it comes to taking advantage of substitutes), interested in learning about other cultures (we should all be interested in China), then this is a wonderful film. Definitely a film that can be watched by the whole family (should be old enough to read the sub-titles which are not hard). Foreign film makers definitely seem to have the knack of making films that are extremely interesting without all the special effects and craziness that American films seem to need to appeal to audiences. Like the other two mentioned, this is a film about people, real people actually as these are not professional actors. ENJOY!! Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/27/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, TRAILER, ROGER EBERT

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN - 1999

RATING - PG for mild language.

AWARDS - 1999 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language film.

THEMES - Relationships, family, forgiveness.

RATINGS - 141 Amazon (5/5), Roger Ebert (4/4), 3,230 IMBD (7.9/10)

STORY - This 1999 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Picture and Award Winner at the Montreal, Newport & Singapore Film Festivals is one of the most delightful, heartwarming pictures I've seen in a long time. As good as the story is, I'd watch it just for the insight into Iranian culture. A chance to see something of the people of Iran. No nukes or bombs, just a look at every day life in Iran. Put it at the top of your list to see. The following is from Amazon: "Triumphant prizewinner at many prestigious film festivals, this uplifting, crowd-pleasing story of family and love was also nominated for an Academy Award(R) as Best Foreign Language Film. When Ali loses his sister Zahra's school shoes, this young pair dream up a plan to stay out of trouble: they'll share his shoes and keep it a secret from their parents! But if they're going to successfully cover their tracks, Ali and Zahra must carefully watch their step on what rapidly turns into a funny and heartwarming adventure! A magical motion picture acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, CHILDREN OF HEAVEN is a charming treat you'll love too. " Roger Ebert sums it up so well: "``Children of Heaven'' is very nearly a perfect movie for children, and of course that means adults will like it, too. It lacks the cynicism and smart-mouth attitudes of so much American entertainment for kids and glows with a kind of good-hearted purity. To see this movie is to be reminded of a time when the children in movies were children and not miniature stand-up comics." Lu G. for Lu's Reviews 10/27/2007

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, ROGER EBERT