ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

SnoopyStyle In a poor Tehran neighborhood, Ali picks up a pair of shoes for his sister Zahra. He loses them while in a store buying potatoes. His father is a simple laborer and his mother is bedridden. He is desperate to hide the mistake from his father and decides to share his sneakers with his sister. The shoes may be small but the stakes do not get much higher. That is the universal truth and that is the greatness of this movie. The family has so little that those shoes mean everything. The kids are terrific. One can really feel their fear and embarrassment. These are big time performances and they have great humanity. The tension in that race does not get much higher. It is all about the stakes and that small prize has such big stakes. There is a parallel with the Bicycle Thieves and I dare say that this approaches that cinematic icon. This was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar but lost to Life Is Beautiful.

anjanagunathilaka This movie feels the heart wrenching. The Children of Heaven is a beautiful illustration of how adversity draws people closer together. This is the best children's movie i have ever seen.

tjsdomer2 As much as I wanted to like Children of Heaven, it just didn't do it for me. I commend the child actors, as I can't blame them for a script that I felt lacked the urgency and grittiness of the living situation in which they found themselves.Some parts were unnecessary or just outright silly. Some of the relationship between Ali and his father working seemed unconvincing and underdeveloped, and therefore expendable. Also, I was slightly offended at a scene where Ali, at a critical point in the film, cries in order to get his way. At best, I was left scratching my head confused and unconvinced. At worst, I got the message that whining is an OK way to get things done. I know the main character is a kid, and maybe it's too much to ask for someone that age to have a coherent conversation explaining the situation and asking for help in a mature manner. However, Ali does act fairly mature around his sister, so I guess I expected more out of a likable character.Finally, the goldfish thing was a bit lost on me, but that might just be me and I'd appreciate any clarification. I would suggest A Separation instead for anyone wanting an introduction to Iranian cinema.2 out 4 stars.

g-bodyl Children of Heaven, which is Iran's selection for best foreign film at the Academy Awards, is a very good movie mainly because anyone in this world can relate to the topic of family and showing love to each other no matter the living circumstances. As an Iranian film, it is definitely played safe but a film with such an universal theme and elegantly told as here should really not be missed, especially by movie-lovers.Majid Majidi's film is about a young boy named Ali who accidentally lost his sister Zahra's shoes. But their family can ill afford to buy new shoes, Ali decides to share his shoes with his sister until he can get new ones for her and so he can avoid punishment.The acting is pretty good, and pretty heartfelt. There is no questioning the chemistry between Amir Farrokh Hashemian as Ali and Bahare Seddiqi as Zahra. Reza Naji who plays as their father is also good as the man who is trying to do all he can to provide food for his family.Overall, Children of Heaven is a simple film but it displays a strong message about the bond of family. There are some talented films from the Middle East and this is one of them. It's a strong film about courage and about doing what's right. My favorite scene is where the father and the son leave their poor slums as they head uptown to the rich neighborhoods. This film shows how American kids are vastly different than kids from these parts of the world.....and not exactly in a good way. This film is a little too simple for me, but there is no denying how powerful this film is. I rate this film 8/10.