Great Pick for Weekend Flick
Posted by Danielle Bean in Reviews on Friday, April 24, 2009 12:00 PM
When Children of Heaven arrived from Netflix last weekend, Dan read the description on the sleeve and ... declined.
Shoe-sharing Iranian children? Subtitles? No thanks, he said.
But I didn’t let that discourage me. I watched it all by myself one night and let me tell you ... Dan missed out.
This is such a beautifully made, touching film. The story is so very simple that I will not even comment on the plot.
I will tell you only that, in my opinion, this movie does everything a good movie should—It transports you to another place and captivates you with a story that teaches you something about the human experience. And it does so in such a real, natural way, that you can’t help but come away edified.
The subtitles are not at all bothersome or intrusive. In fact, so much of this story is visual that there are long spans of time with no dialog at all.
Additionally, Children of Heaven is a great movie choice for older kids who won’t be bothered by some emotional turmoil (no death or violence, just poverty, some child-anxiety, and misfortune) and won’t mind the subtitles.
I had my kids watch the day after I did and they enjoyed it quite a bit. It even sparked some conversations about sibling relationships and our nation’s wealth in comparison with many others in the world. Good stuff!
This is not an “action film” or “thriller” that keeps you on the edge of your seat. But if you enjoy a movie that tells a compelling story in a beautiful way—a true work of art—you will definitely enjoy Children of Heaven.
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