Children of Heaven Movie Review

Children of Heaven (1997)

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Written by: Majid Majidi
Directed by: Majid Majidi
Starring: Mohammad Amir Naji, Amir Farrokh Hashemian, Bahare Seddiq
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young boy loses his sister's shoes and embarks on an adventure to get them back.

Verdict
I was expecting something more fun, possibly fantastical or magical, but this movie plays it straight. This desperately needs a Spielberg touch. It's got a great premise that is never as fun or as interesting as I expected. With as much praise as this movie gets, I feel like I missed something.
Skip it.

Review
Perhaps I expected too much. I was hoping to see the world from the boy's point of view, something imaginative and fun. I like the idea of this movie more than the execution. On a second watch, I might see this differently.

I like the premise. Ali loses his sister's shoes but vows to get them back. She agrees to not tell their parents. The interactions between Ali and his sister are great. You really feel like they share a sibling bond.

Children of Heaven -An intriguing story.

It culminates in Ali entering a foot race, hoping to win third place for the prize of new shoes. Few times can a character win a race and feel like they lost, and I do like that moment. Ali didn't win the shoes, and the main prize is then irrelevant.

It's different, but that's because I'm accustomed to the typical American movie tropes. This has a great focus, and while I wanted to like it, it just didn't resonate with me.