Vishal Agrawal
A young man, Lateef, may be 18 years old falls in love with a fellow construction site worker Baran. Circumstances are victimizing, conditions are odd. There's no way Lateef can win her hand but its a complete triumph of love.What a brilliant film. I am not into love stories but this film is definitely a love story par excellence. Plot is so brilliant and is executed with such finesse. The passion in the heart of the protagonist is just unbelievable and is a treat to watch. Majidi is such a fantastic director. All the obstacles and difficulties Lateef faces are social and political problems. Story looks like a love story but Majidi actually talks about women problems, refugees, illegal workers, immigration problems and of course conflict of right and wrong defined in a society. There are so many things Lateef does for Baran which I ended up thinking 'not possible' but the real question is 'isnt love selfless?'. 'Baran' is a film which haunts a thinking brain. A film which doesn't answer questions but ask questions. The construction site where Lateef works is in Northern Tehran. Mehar employs Afghanis to work with Turks and Iranians (thanks Howard Schumann ). There are actually so many things going on in this film.Hossein Abedini as Lateef is fantastic. He is Lateef and nobody else can be Lateef. Zahra Bahrami doesn't have dialogs but she is very good. Mohammad Amir Naji is a fantastic actor. If he is on the screen then you just look at him and rest is 'backdrop'. One of the few complete actors in my dictionary of actors. My favorite scene is when Lateef comes to know about the fact that Baran is a girl and so hear wears some trendy clothes and come to brick laying. Memar looks at him and say "why are you dressed like a pop star?". I laughed so much. I use this phrase very often. Two thumbs up. I think the whole Indian film industry with 200 films on love is a dwarf in front of this divine story about love and selflessness. A must watch. 10/10.
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.
svitor72
If I could give 100 points for this movie, I would, but I will just have to give it a perfect 10.As they say, "Actions speak louder than words" and this is how I would describe this movie.Seeing this movie makes one take account of his/her life. There is so much that us take for granted in our daily lives that by seeing this movie we can start appreciate what we have.Latif gave everything in the name of kindness and love for his neighbor. He even risked his life in order to show his inner kindness towards others. Meeting Baran taught him a lot about how to show love and gentleness for others.
