Baran

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id1940.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="13 Conversations About One Thing"><U>13 Conversations About One Thing</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1784.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="40 Days and 40 Nights"><U>40 Days and 40 Nights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1937.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2001: A Space Odyssey"><U>2001: A Space Odyssey</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1910.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A.B.C. Africa"><U>A.B.C. Africa</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1787.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About a Boy"><U>About a Boy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1936.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Adanggaman"><U>Adanggaman</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1783.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All about the Benjamins"><U>All about the Benjamins</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1785.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Adobo"><U>American Adobo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1939.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Chai"><U>American Chai</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1852.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Appollo 13"><U>Appollo 13</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1788.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Audition"><U>Audition</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1909.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Austin Powers in Goldmember"><U>Austin Powers in Goldmember</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1911.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bad Company"><U>Bad Company</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1990.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Banger Sisters"><U>The Banger Sisters</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1980.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Barbershop "><U>Barbershop </U></A>   |   <B>Baran</B>   |   <A HREF="id1981.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Barbershop "><U>Barbershop </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1912.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bartleby"><U>Bartleby</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1786.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bay of Angels"><U>Bay of Angels</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1740.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Beauty and the Beast"><U>Beauty and the Beast</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1935.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Beijing Bicycle"><U>Beijing Bicycle</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1913.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Believer"><U>The Believer</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1755.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Bad Love"><U>Big Bad Love</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1932.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Trouble"><U>Big Trouble</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1934.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Birthday Girl"><U>Birthday Girl</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1789.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blade 2"><U>Blade 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1816.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blue Crush"><U>Blue Crush</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1871.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blue Crush"><U>Blue Crush</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1870.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Bourne Identity"><U>The Bourne Identity</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1814.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chain Camera"><U>Chain Camera</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1790.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Changing Lanes"><U>Changing Lanes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1773.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Cherry Orchard"><U>The Cherry Orchard</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1869.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cinema Paradiso"><U>Cinema Paradiso</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1907.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Circuit"><U>Circuit</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1775.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clockstoppers"><U>Clockstoppers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1774.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Collateral Damage"><U>Collateral Damage</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1776.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Count of Monte Cristo"><U>The Count of Monte Cristo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1900.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Country Bears"><U>The Country Bears</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1929.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CQ"><U>CQ</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1898.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crop Circles...Quest for Truth"><U>Crop Circles...Quest for Truth</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1920.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crocodile Hunter"><U>Crocodile Hunter</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1756.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crossroads"><U>Crossroads</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1772.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crush"><U>Crush</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1901.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys"><U>The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1758.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Death to Smoochy"><U>Death to Smoochy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1831.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood"><U>Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1832.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Domestic Disturbance"><U>Domestic Disturbance</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1835.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Divided We Fall"><U>Divided We Fall</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1834.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Donnie Darko"><U>Donnie Darko</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1833.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dont Say a Word"><U>Don't Say a Word</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1757.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dragonfly"><U>Dragonfly</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1829.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eight Legged Freaks"><U>Eight Legged Freaks</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1921.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Esther Kahn"><U>Esther Kahn</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1830.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial: Limited Colle"><U>E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Limited Collector's Edition</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1906.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family Fundamentals"><U>Family Fundamentals</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1905.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Farewell"><U>The Farewell</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1922.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Fast Runner"><U>The Fast Runner</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1745.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Festival in Cannes"><U>Festival in Cannes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1923.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flirting Scholar"><U>Flirting Scholar</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1767.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Frailty"><U>Frailty</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1897.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Full Frontal"><U>Full Frontal</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1902.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Girls Cant Swim"><U>Girls Can't Swim</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1903.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Good Girl"><U>The Good Girl</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1924.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happenstance"><U>Happenstance</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1899.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happy Times"><U>Happy Times</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1747.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Harriosns Flowers"><U>Harriosn's Flowers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1743.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Harts War"><U>Hart's War</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1904.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Harvard Man"><U>Harvard Man</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1925.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hey Arnold! The Movie"><U>Hey Arnold! The Movie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1764.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="High Crimes"><U>High Crimes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1744.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hollywood Ending"><U>Hollywood Ending</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1918.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"><U>I Am Trying to Break Your Heart</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1751.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ice Age"><U>Ice Age</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1928.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Impostor"><U>Impostor</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1983.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Innocence"><U>Innocence</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1724.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Insomnia"><U>Insomnia</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1926.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Italian for Beginners "><U>Italian for Beginners </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1739.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="John Q"><U>John Q</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1876.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Joy"><U>Joy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1915.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Just a Kiss"><U>Just a Kiss</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1982.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="K19: The Widowmaker"><U>K-19: The Widowmaker</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1883.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kalis Vibe"><U>Kali's Vibe</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1731.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Keep The River on Your Right: A Modern C"><U>Keep The River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1877.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kevins Room"><U>Kevin's Room</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1882.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Kid Stays in the Picture...."><U>The Kid Stays in the Picture....</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1782.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kissing Jessica Stein"><U>Kissing Jessica Stein</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1781.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kung Pow: Enter the Fist"><U>Kung Pow: Enter the Fist</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Home Pages for</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/index.htm"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>      </B><A HREF="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/"><U><B>Books</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>            </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id364.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Travel</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>                   </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Baran</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 147 WIDTH="495"><div> <IMG SRC="13fb638c0.jpg" border=0 width="99" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><B>DVD <script language="JavaScript"> function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write("<a href=javascript:popUp('http://buybox.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=reelmoviecriticc&link_code=xsc&creative=23424&camp=2025&path=/dt/assoc/tg/aa/xml/assoc/-/B00006ADG0/reelmoviecriticc/ref=ac_bb1_,_amazon')><img src=http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/remote-buy-box/buy1.gif border=0 alt='Buy from Amazon.com' ></a>"); document.close(); </script> <noscript> <form method="POST" action="http://buybox.amazon.com/o/dt/assoc/handle-buy-box=B00006ADG0"> <input type="hidden" name="asin.B00006ADG0" value="1"> <input type="hidden" name="tag-value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="hidden" name="tag_value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="image" name="submit.add-to-cart" value="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" alt="Buy from Amazon.com" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/add-to-cart.gif"> </form> </noscript>  </B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Baran </B>***1/2 (Not Rated)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By George O. Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Go back to your work</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Lateef: Hossein Abedini</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Baran: Zahra Bahrami</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Rahmat: would be a spoiler if revealed</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Memar: Mohammad Amir Naji</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Soltan: Abbas Rahimi</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director: Majid Majidi</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A young Iranian man develops a love/hate relationship with an Afghan refugee worker, which challenges his notion of the value of relationships and money.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> We are aware of Afghanistan now more than ever because of the link of that country to the events of September 11, 2001. I must admit that knowing this film is about Afghan refugees, one of my thoughts was do I really care about these people? I saw Baran within two weeks of the assaults on the US. Yes, I know they are not all terrorists but do I want to spend and hour and a half learning about these people and their culture? Yes, not only do I want to see the picture…I <I>needed</I> to see it. </div> <bR> <div> Being an African-American, I am sensitive to the issues of profiling and stereotyping. Never would I have thought I would have to work so hard to be fair to others. A film like this is just what I needed to see to be reminded that we need to look beneath the surface with respect to other lands, peoples and cultures. This is one of the more important functions that film serves- to make the world a better place<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >-</FONT> if we let it.  </div> <bR> <div> There are over 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Iran. Most are of the current generation and were born in Iran, and have never set foot in Afghanistan. They are analogous to undocumented Mexican workers in the US. They perform jobs others either don't want to do, and/or for far less pay. They put up with abusive bosses and miserable living conditions. </div> <bR> <div> Lateef is a 17-year-old young Iranian man who works at a construction site for Memar, who could best be described as a benevolent dictator. He pays his workers by the day and ensures that they are fed and given tea to keep their spirits up. If there is any interruption of any kind, his key phrase is "go back to your work." Lateef is a kitchen hand who does the grocery shopping, cooking and serves tea to the other workers. Memar gives Lateef just enough money to get by on, and he is holding a year's worth of salary in a place that he says is safer than a bank. Lateef is so focused on money that when he sees a silver coin in the street, he steps on it, and pretends to tie his shoelaces while discreetly picking up the money and places it in his hidden stash in the kitchen. He also wants a better job at the site. He gets no respect in part because his tea is often described as tasting like hot dishwater and he is doing "woman's work."  </div> <bR> <div> When an Afghan worker falls and breaks his foot, Soltan comes to Memar to ask him to put the injured worker's son Rahmat to work carrying cement bags. Memar says no because the kid won't speak and looks too weak for that type of work. He relents however, and gives Rahmat a few days probation to prove himself. </div> <bR> <div> Soon Lateef becomes jealous of Rahmat and attacks not only him, but the kitchen as well. As Lateef starts to spy on Rahmat, he learns a secret which changes the outlook on how he feels about Rahmat as well as the value he places on money.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: For those of you who have seen <I><B>The King of Masks,</B></I> you will immediately realize Rahmat's secret. For others, you may guess it and even if you do so right away, the revelation of that is less important than what Lateef does with that information. Rahmat and Lateef began to make an uneasy peace with one another. </div> <bR> <div> <I>Baran</I> raises a number of issues that are very timely such as, can you go home after living in another country, and how would you react to being treated as a refugee? Will you always be a second class citizen or if not, will it be for months, years, decades or centuries? Can love flourish between an Afghan and an Iranian? And when it comes to borrowing or taking money from someone, how it is done can be as important as what is done.</div> <bR> <div> Films such as <I>Baran</I>, which are simple (in the best way) in plot and acting, remind me also of <I><B>The Road Home</B></I> and <I><B>Under The Sun.</B></I> They tend not to shock you because there are not series of dramatic events <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >--</FONT>just every day occurrences. The entertainment quotient is less than in a Hollywood blockbuster or even decent films like <I><B>Along Came a Spider.</B></I> But it loudly rings the bell when it comes to giving you something to think about hours or days after leaving the theater. You not only know more about other people, but yourself as well. These are movies to remember rather than the ones you forget. For films like this, paying $10 is indeed a bargain.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>