Iranian director Majid Majidi presents the refreshingly simple tale of two young children forced by economic realities to share one pair of shoes. A film divorced from the bloat of American mainstream budgets, Children of Heaven has to stand on the merits of its performances, story and direction-and it meets the challenge admirably. Iran entered this film as its candidate for Best Picture in 1999. It didn't win, but it was a critical favorite that year and remains an excellent reminder of the humanity of the residents of a nation that mostly makes news as the target of U.S. saber-rattling.
Mon., March 10, 2008
