Wow! Such a good movie.

Dreadfully Boring

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

another great film from great Majid Majidi. those people who live in Iran can deeply feel the atmosphere of the film.in this film Karim is a symbol of humankind and birds are messengers of god. their appearance each time reminds Karim the fact of his life.every time we hear the sound of sparrows Karim is making a decision and god wants to help him to make the best. it seems that no one else can do this. in this film ostrich is a symbol of Karim and so a symbol of human. ostrich is like birds but can not fly ,so as Karim. he wants to be bad but he cant. some of the shots taken from above seem to be from the gods point of view. for example when Karim goes through a burned field with a blue door on his back, a door to sky, or when he searches for the lost bird. the music from Alizadeh is excellent and really impressive and fits the scenes. it's all about humanity...

This movie underlines the fact that a movie belongs to the director, How he treats the theme and narrate the story. This movie is about a very ordinary man living in the outskirts of Teharan, Finding it very difficult of get the income sufficient for the family, But happily living with them.The struggle of a common man is beautifully enacted by Mohammed amir Naji. He really deserve an applause for his splendid performance throughout the movie.All other characters in the family also given very good performance. The first few minutes of the movie is in a ostrich farm where the protagonist is working. Those who have not seen ostriches in real life this is visual treat. Similar is the way in which two wheeler's are used as Taxi in Tehran.The silence of Desert is beautifully captured in this movie. The background music is also very apt. Overall this movie is a pleasant experience , thanks to the care taken by majid majidi in each scene.

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.

This is about the 6th film of Majid Majidi that I have seen and reviewed. I would see more, but currently these are the only ones readily available here in the US. All are exceptionally well acted and compelling films about working class folks. And, while they lack the glamor and excitement of most films, there is a simple beauty about them that keeps me coming back for more.Perennial Majidi actor, Mohammad Amir Naji, plays Karim--a poor guy who loses his temper a lot but has a lot of decency buried within him--and a lot to admire. His life seems, for a while, to be nothing but financial hardships. His oldest daughter loses her hearing aid in a stagnant pool, when it's found it is hopelessly ruined AND he loses his job. With no insurance on the hearing aid, he is determined to do anything, or just about anything, to make the money to get the hearing aid. On a lark, he gets work as an independent cabbie--of sorts. He shuttles people and packages all over Teheran on his motorcycle. In addition, when he sees salvageable junk, he carts it home to the countryside where he lives with his family.At the same time, his young son (who appears to be only about 7) has business plans of his own. Like his father, he has a very strong sense of family responsibility and he and his friends go to amazing lengths to start up an odd little business.There are many ups and downs in the story, but during all these the family never loses their sense of decency and love--despite Karim being a bit of a blow-hard at home. A very moving tale that really helps you to appreciate all that you have--especially since these people have so little yet seem content. My only reservation, and it's a small one, is that not a lot overtly happens in the film--and it seems a tad incomplete.In some ways, this film is an awful lot like Majidi's "Children of Heaven"--with the same man playing the father, the same financial problems and the same sense of ingenuity within the children. Both are lovely films, but I strongly recommend you first see "Children of Heaven" or "The Color of Paradise" first--they are great films and represent Majidi at his very best.