This is a seriously depressing movie. I had to stop the film half a dozen times and do something else, because it was so grim. The family loses mother, then father than oldest daughter. Oldest son Ayoub (maybe 14) tries to carry on looking after the family. Others do their best to help, but everyone is so poor there is not much anyone can do. Everyone has to work so hard for so little wage. On top of this they have a crippled brother, Madi, who can barely walk, and is only about half normal height. He needs an operation, but even if he gets it he will die in a year. Soldiers attack. Employers refuse to pay. Rescuers renege. The whole film gives a feeling of impending doom to innocents. Then suddenly the movie ends without resolving anything, as though the ending had been trimmed off. Some exotic script flows by for a minute, without subtitles. Perhaps that explains what happens.
Often in movies when terrible things happen to people, I don't care. I have developed no connection with the characters or I don't like them. In this movie, I cared so much about the characters it hurt. It grabs your emotions, but without the usual corny tricks.
There is a scene with animal cruelty I do not think was simulated where they slapped and kicked mules. The whipping I think was simulated.
The hardship is not supernatural or overstated. It feels like a realistic portrayal of being a child truck tire smuggler in Iran-Iraq.
This is not an enjoyable movie, but it is a good movie.
Often in movies when terrible things happen to people, I don't care. I have developed no connection with the characters or I don't like them. In this movie, I cared so much about the characters it hurt. It grabs your emotions, but without the usual corny tricks.
There is a scene with animal cruelty I do not think was simulated where they slapped and kicked mules. The whipping I think was simulated.
The hardship is not supernatural or overstated. It feels like a realistic portrayal of being a child truck tire smuggler in Iran-Iraq.
This is not an enjoyable movie, but it is a good movie.