Enjoyable, simple family movie with solid values

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2008)

This is a great movie especially for children: the plot is simple, there is no real villain, the main characters are children, and it's an excellent eye-opener about how life is lived in a very different society.
It suffers a bit because it is too simple, and doesn't have quite enough tension to keep adults fully interested; but since it is fairly short, it doesn't really drag either.
The story illustrates the story of a very poor family in which the brother (Ali) manages to lose the only pair of shoes that his sister (Zahra) has. To avoid the wrath of the father who is behind on rent and is unable to make ends meet, they work out a scheme whereby they take turns with Ali's sneakers: Zahra takes them to school in the morning, then Ali in the afternoon. Eventually Ali enrolls in a race hoping to bring home a new pair of sneakers as the prize.
There is much of great value in this film. The two children really shine: they are endearing, tender, kind, almost saintly. It's particularly touching to see Ali's concern for his little sister, knowing that it was his fault the shoes were lost, and how he does so many things to try and cushion the loss for her. The father is the one character with some depth or complexity. He's easily angered and gruff, yet he clearly loves his children and wife and is doing his best in spite of circumstances.
Another weakness of the movie was the ending, which left a lot to be inferred by the viewer and did not have the tidy, clear conclusion one would expect. Then again, the art of film-making lies in subtleness, but I thought this might have been too subtle.
This is an excellent didactic movie for children: it promotes decency and goodness and it teaches the value of self-sacrifice and caring for others in one's family; that even when one is poor, one can perform acts of charity towards others even less fortunate; that the greatest nobility in human character can be found among the poorest and most destitute, but also among the rich (e.g., the grandfather who hires Ali's father as gardener). These virtues and values are universal and transcend nationality and ethnicity and religion, which is why this movie has such a broad appeal.