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The White Balloon (1995)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:20
Fresh:16
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.8/10
Synopsis: Hours before the Iranian New Year, a seven-year-old girl begs her mother for money to buy a goldfish. The mother grudgingly relents, but, on the way to the store, the girl accidentally drops her... Hours before the Iranian New Year, a seven-year-old girl begs her mother for money to buy a goldfish. The mother grudgingly relents, but, on the way to the store, the girl accidentally drops her 500-toman bill into an open sewer grate. In a relentless attempt to retrieve her money in time to purchase the much-coveted goldfish, she enlists the help of her enterprising brother and a varied cross-section of Teheran's marginalized citizens. A quiet, unpretentious gem about the beauty in everyday life. [More]
Starring: Aida Mohammadkhani, Moshen Kalifi, Fereshteh Sadr Orafai
Starring: Aida Mohammadkhani, Moshen Kalifi, Fereshteh Sadr Orafai
Director: Jafar Panahi
Director: Jafar Panahi
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Reviews for The White Balloon
In an era when ethnic hatred turns groups against each other, it is salutary to come across a film about universal qualities linking people from different cultures.
By putting itself in sync with the rhythms of everyday life, it offers a reminder that the simplest forms of filmmaking can be the most satisfying.
Raziah takes everything at face value, forcing us to look again at people and situations we would immediately judge as good or bad -- reason enough to see this film.
Often this movie just feels like a walk in the park with a recalcitrant child. How much can you stand to watch?
Without it ever being said, we get to meet and deeply appreciate some of the Iranian people who never make the news.
Explores childhood on its own terms, with great respect and an unerring sense of truth.
We need to fall in love with Razieh to see the film properly, and we do.
Those with the patience to sit through all eighty-five minutes will uncover a sublime, unconventionally engrossing story.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| 19% 19% | Transformers: Revenge … |
| 55% 55% | Orphan |
| 43% 43% | The Proposal |
| 26% 26% | Land of the Lost |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 88% 88% | Ballast |
| 67% 67% | The Merry Gentleman |
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