THE STONING OF SORAYA M.

THE STONING OF SORAYA M. - 2008

RATED - R for a disturbing sequence of cruel and brutal violence, and brief strong language. The scene is very bloody and brutal.

RATINGS - 65 Amazon (4.5/5), 197,128 Netflix (4.2/5), 3,223 IMDB (8/10).

STARRING - Academy Award Nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jim Caviezel.

AWARDS - 4 WINS & 4 NOMINATIONS including Los Angeles Film Festival AUDIENCE AWARD for BEST FEATURE.

STORY - Based on a true story in 1986 about a French-Iranian journalist (Caviezel) whose car broke down while passing through a remote Iranian village. At the risk of her own life, the aunt of Soraya M. made contact with the journalist to tell the story of her niece in hopes that it would make it to the outside world. It reveals a dark side of Islamic culture and the deep prejudice against women and the double standard they allow for men against women. As horrific as this story is, it is too easy to sit in judgment of these people for what they did. This is a difficult film to watch on the order of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST for its brutality to an innocent person. We end up asking the same questions - how could, family, friends and neighbors allow this, let alone take part in this horrific act?  Yet, we look at our society and the racial discrimination that produced equally violent acts towards fellow Americans.  How is that societies end up dehumanizing certain segments of the human race, whether by gender, race or religious belief?  How do ordinary people end up being murderers and incredibly violent?  For sure, this is a story about Iran and Islam and their dark sides but if we don't go any further than that we have missed an opportunity to see where perhaps we have our ugly sides.  This is a powerful film with an incredible visual impact. 

LINKS - AMAZON, NETFLIX, IMDB/TRAILER

OFFSIDE

OFFSIDE - 2006

RATED - PG for relatively mild language throughout.

RATINGS - 8 Amazon (4/5), 24,109 Netflix (3/5), 2,254 IMDB (7.1/10).

THEMES - Justice, discrimination, religion.

AWARDS - 4 wins and 3 nominations at various international film festivals.

STORY - It's 2005 in Tehran and Iran is playing Bahrain for the chance to advance to the World Cup. There are 100,000 spectators cheering on the Iranian team.  What's wrong with that picture?  They're all men - or supposed to be.  Iran doesn't allow women to attend sporting events.  The official reason is they will be exposed to foul language and men's legs (the players presumably). The real reason, of course, is women are discriminated against in Iran.  However, not all the fans are men at the game - they just all look like men.  Some are young girls (who are allowed to play soccer) who want to see the game so badly they try to disguise themselves as men and buy a ticket. Some make it but the 'gender police' are out in full force and some are caught.  This is  a film (banned in Iran by the way) about those who are arrested.  They are taken to a holding pen right outside the stadium where they can hear but not see the game. The film is mostly about the interaction between these young female fans and the young male guards who are assigned to make sure they are 'tortured' by hearing but not seeing. While making the point well about discrimination, the film is also a light hearted story about how young men and women in Iran see their roles and the lengths some young women will go to see a forbidden soccer match.  Don't expect soccer action (actual game footage is measured in seconds) but a good story about culture and another opportunity to learn about a country we hear so much about but really don't know much about. Much of the film was shot at the stadium the actual day of the big match so it has an authentic feel - a kind of docudrama feel. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews.

LINKS - IMDB & TRAILER

THE SONG OF SPARROWS

THE SONG OF SPARROWS - 2008

RATED - PG for mild language. Very family friendly.

RATINGS - 2 Amazon (4/5), 9.536 Netflix (3.5/5), 781 IMDB (7.6/10).

STARRING - Directed by Majid Majidi who also directed the Academy Award winning CHILDREN OF HEAVEN and THE COLOR OF PARADISE.

AWARDS - Six wins and two nominations at various major film festivals. The Iranian entry for Academy Award category Best Foreign Language Film.

THEMES - Relationships, spirituality.

STORY - This is the story of Karim, the rural Iranian father of a deaf teen-aged daughter and two younger children. When, at the same time, he loses his job on an Ostrich ranch and his daughter loses her hearing aid right before important school exams, he heads to Tehran on his motorbike to look for work. By accident, he becomes a motorbike taxi driver and begins to make more money than he ever dreamed of. But he also begins to change as his desire for things and his ethics collide. Having promised his wife that the first priority would be to replace their daughter's hearing aid, he finds himself tempted by the material life he now has access to. Several heart breaking incidents cause him to examine what he has become. While the story/parable may be familiar, what is special is the way Majidi presents it. The dialogue is minimal letting the non-verbal actions of the characters speak for themselves as well as the great cinematography. Unlike many (not all)American films, it does not insult your intelligence with shallow dialogue and unnecessary action. Majidi really develops the characters into believable human beings. Reza Naji is great as Karim and the children in the film are so delightful and photogenic. And if you enjoy learning about and experiencing other cultures, it is a great window into Iranian culture, in this case, both rural and urban. With most of us only getting the sound bites about Iran we hear on radio or TV, this will give an insight into the real people and culture.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB/TRAILER

THE COLOR OF PARADISE

THE COLOR OF PARADISE - 1999

RATED - PG for mature themes. VERY family friendly.

RATINGS - 75 Amazon (5/5), 75,077 Netflix (3.8/5), 2,955 IMDB (7.7/10), Roger Ebert (4/4)

AWARDS - 10 wins and 8 nominations at various film festivals.

THEMES - Relationships, reconciliation, physical handicaps.

STORY - From the producer of the ACADEMY AWARD nominee, CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, Majid Majidi, comes this sequel, THE COLOR OF PARADISE. Described as 'Stunningly beautiful. A gem." by Stephen Holden of the New York Times. Winner of the BEST PICTURE at the 1999 Montreal Film Festival and other awards internationally, this is a story about an 8 year old blind boy and his relationship with his widowed father. It grabs your heart immediately as the boarding school for blind children in Tehran, where Mohammad attends, is ending for summer vacation. Mohammad is the only child left after all the other parents have picked up their children. He is sitting alone on a bench and hears a baby bird fall out of its nest and chirping on the ground. He also hears a cat nearby. He manages to shoo the cat away and find the baby bird and climb the tree and return it to its nest. Welcome to the world of the blind. His father finally arrives and wants to leave him there. We meet a poor, hard working man from a rural village who has lost his wife and is trying to raise his other two daughters and make a living as best he can. He also wants to remarry and considers Mohammad to be an obstacle to finding a wife. The rest is a wonderful human interest story. The scenery is outstanding. Iran is really a beautiful country in many areas. Many emotions come to the surface during the film. It is a film you can easily watch with children who are mature enough to understand the themes. It is worth watching just to better understand the handicap of being a blind child. If you've seen CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, you know what's in store. Rated PG for mature themes, there is no offensive language or material of any kind. YOU WILL BE DOING YOURSELF A FAVOR BY PUTTING THIS AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 03/22/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER, ROGER EBERT

SECRET BALLOT

SECRET BALLOT - 2001

RATED - G

RATINGS - 5,048 Netflix (2.9/5), 682 IMDB (6.5/10), 20 Amazon (3.5/5), Roger Ebert (3/4)

AWARDS - 10 wins and 3 nominations at various Film Festivals including Venice and London.

THEMES - Democracy, gender discrimination, politics.

STORY - The film begins with a plane dropping a large crate with a parachute on what appears to be a remote desert area by the ocean. It then pans to a bunk bed in the open by the beach with a soldier sleeping. He wakes and discovers the crate contains all the ballots and voting materials for the upcoming election and a notice that the voting agent will be arriving shortly and his assignment is to chaperon the agent around the island to collect and verify the votes. This is an Iranian island and when he discovers the bureaucratic agent is a woman, that is his first problem. The second is locating all the voters on the island and convincing them that voting is their responsibility and that it does impact their lives. The one day adventure of this odd couple, a reluctant Iranian soldier and enthusiastic, persevering female agent produces some humorous as well as sobering encounters with the reality of life on this island. Is the film primarily about democracy, gender discrimination or life in Iran? Perhaps it's a combination of all three in this documentary-like film. If you're only into action and fast-paced adventure, this movie is not for you, but, if you enjoy learning about other cultures and the people in other parts of the world who may be very different (or maybe not) from us, this is worth the time investment. Enjoy!! Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/03/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, 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