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BaranRating:
Release Date: 22 October, 2002 Retail Price: $19.99 OUR Price: $17.99 You SAVE: $2.00! Cast: |
Baran Reviews
a true love brings maturity
Beautiful. When the movie begins, the young lead character is a selfish, self-absorbed, lazy young man. He is looking for the quickest way to make money with the least effort...and like many of his peers, has an intense dislike for the refugee father and "son" who come to work with the company he is employed with. I mean, this fellow is just awful. He's so obnoxious, you keep waiting for him to do something appealing so you can stop wishing he'd fall off of the building.
And then he does. He finds out, by accident, that the "son" is really a young woman. And he is immediately drawn to her. Suddenly, instead of being the tormentor he is the protector, of her physically and of her secret.
When events transpire that lead him to search for her(well, I can't give EVERYTHING away, now can I?), we get to see the maturation process in action. Caring for someone other than himself gives him a strength and a resolve that even he did not know he had and brings him to an incredible sacrifice to help out her family.
Iranian films rarely have what we would traditionally call "happy endings". Those are rare and not sought after. But there are endings that aren't horrid, just sort of sad, in a good way. It's hard to explain, but this film supplies an excellent example. In Iran, princes don't rescue the princesses, they usually get mangled by the dragon, but it's never a dull ride(and in this case he doesn't actually get mangled...).
Another Iranian gem
I happened upon Iranian cinema a few years ago. Prior to this I rarely
thought about Iran, if at all. Baran has become a favorite of mine for
the simple reason that it connects with the viewer viscerally, tapping
the verities written long ago within all of us, highlighting our
commonality rather than our supposedly irreconcilable differences. It's
all plausible now.
I like this film for many reasons. One is that I grew up shy, and
Lateef's advances towards his new found love -- while stretching
credulity with some reviewers -- perfectly captures the fits and starts
of attending to one's heart's desire, looking into another human's eyes,
and sensing a vast gulf that first must be crossed.
It strikes me that nations are sometimes in this position, too,
separated by historical events, but unlike improbable lovers, a mutual
respect seems even less likely. While art can't usher in utopia here on
earth, it can start to chip away at the impediments we as societies find
ourselves constrained by. Baran is a film of great beauty, a small
masterpiece not unlike a series of paintings, displaying a richness of
images and ideas.
Baran is rewarding on many levels, and based on the numerous positive
reviews, you, too, may find it compelling and memorable. A film to
share with dearest of friends.
More Customer Reviews (15 total)
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