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