CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

BeckyLadakh I use movies as an adjunct to my English class in Ladakh, a remote part of India. I like to show movies from different countries, and movies by this director always satisfy. It does mean that my students are reading subtitles rather than listening to English, but reading in chunks is a real-life reading skill, so I like to mix subtitled non-English movies in with English ones.Being Iranian, this movie is, of course, squeaky clean for showing to students in a conservative society.The character of Lateef is fun to do a character word-web about and my students came up with some great descriptive words, since his character is not all positive, and changes over time. Pre-teach that it's from Iran, and the language is Farsi (not Arabic). Because of many years of war, lots of Afghans are refugees in other countries, and in Iran they have trouble because without ID cards they aren't allowed to work, shop in shops, or stay in hotels. Make sure to catch the names of Najaf (the guy who has the accident at the beginning), his friend Sultan, the central character Lateef, and the boss Memar, because a lot of important plot points happen in discussions mentioning a character.

Lee-107 Something must be there in the air of Iran! How can they repeatedly make such good films? What is it about this country's landscape/culture/socio-economic circumstances that is so unique, that seems like it cannot be replicated anywhere else... I've watched many Iranian films over the years and each one of them has been a cinematic treat. Iranian filmmakers have truly raised the bar of cinema. If films are about capturing a slice of human life, presenting it as justly as possible and thereby helping us understand ourselves better, than I think Iranian filmmakers have done just that...over and over again!'Baran' is again a gem of a film - basically a love story which beautifully talks about the prevailing socio-cultural dynamics in Iran at the time. Hossein Abedini as Lateef is excellent - your typical lovable rogue who has an insatiable propensity for mischief but is basically good at heart! Mohammad Amir Naji as Memar is absolutely endearing! You cannot help but be touched by this man's kindness and his subtle paternal attitude towards Lateef. Mohammad Amir Naji was also there in 'Children of Heaven' and even in that he was so amazing! He must be major actor in Iran or at least I hope he is! And Zahra Bahrami as Baran - a very controlled beautiful performance.The "still sad music of humanity" reverberates in Iranian cinema all the time except that it is also complimented with refreshing doses of humour and joy revolving everyday situations and actions. Watch 'Baran' for another example of good cinema from Iran! Thankfully there's plenty of it there and plenty for us to see, enjoy and may be even learn...

noralee "Baran" is like a prequel to the opening of "Kandahar," showing why the Afghan refugees return home, as it's sure not clear where is the frying pan and where is the fire. It gives a heartbreakingly beautiful contemporary view of a story as old as time, as some song from some Disney or other movie would put it. I'm sure there's several Celtic legend songs with a similar story line of the young man who gets in way over his head in a relationship from afar within highly circumscribed familial and authority strictures. Original here is that his heart's desire is one smart cookie who is coping as best as can be within an intolerable social situation, and his efforts have "Gift of the Magi" consequences.There is not a single cliché, and the probably amateur actors are used to effective visual effect with very little dialog.(originally written 5/19/2002)

jpschapira Another thought-provoking, unique, deep, understandable, warm, loving and touching tale comes from Iran, by the hand of Majid Majidi, the one who brought "The Children of Heaven" to our eyes. As impeccable and human as that one, comes "Baran". What an amazing film. You don't see these type of characters every day. They barely speak in most of the occasions, but they show emotions.The whole piece beautifully and well done, that it really touches deep. These situations and these people make the film so watchable. Lateef is a normal person, he spends his everyday life as anyone else, working, earning the money for his life (although he hasn't received that money yet, but he will). Soltan works there, also, although he shouldn't, as many other workers. Soltan brings a boy one day, and after some events, this boy steals (it's a way to put it) Lateef's job. He's angry, we get it. But he sees, some time after, a girl behind a curtain (in a beautiful scene, with a patient camera watching carefully both angles). A girl he used to know as a boy, and he is shocked. He has fallen in love.After this, nothing matters, only this girl (Baran, we hear from her father; and if you don't listen carefully, you'll miss it, because it's the only time the word is said). Then we join Lateef in his journey, for love. He's desperate. He sees Baran suffering, and ends lying to his boss, to get some money for her. To help her.One of the most incredible things in the story, is the development of this boy's personality. He wants to help, but at the same time, doesn't want the people he's helping to know it. He wastes his time in the invention of stupid excuses, just to hide himself. Hiding himself from who? From this girl, the reason of his changes and efforts? Why? He wants to be with her.The last scenes come as magical and "one of a kind" as the ones in "The Children of Heaven". Lateef sits and contemplates a curtain, similar to the image seen the fist time he discovers Baran. Now he is making decisions, but only in his mind, because it is late already. The next morning, Baran is leaving, I guess it's not important where. He helps her to pick some things she has dropped. She sees him, and completely knows the things he has been doing for her. Then she just smiles, and gets in the truck. She leaves, he watches.Maybe he'll regret it.