The Song of Sparrows
Sweet and simple fable has echoes of BICYCLE THIEVES (to say nothing of CHILDREN OF HEAVEN) in its depiction of its hero not quite bending the rules of nobility to achieve economic advancement. It’s never better than when it is centring on a wonderful performance from Naji, who makes his somewhat aggressive go-getter completely endearing and even adorable; is he semi-inventing the “Uber” concept in the first half? Loses its way somewhat after Naji is taken out of action, and leading to a finale that seems a little lost and uncertain in terms of how it wants to come together. A very pleasant watch overall, while never overly romanticising the dire poverty of its central family.
Mini Review: Sweet and simple fable has echoes of BICYCLE THIEVES (to say nothing of CHILDREN OF HEAVEN) in its depiction of its hero not quite bending the rules of nobility to achieve economic advancement. It’s never better than when it is centring on a wonderful performance from Naji, who makes his somewhat aggressive go-getter completely endearing and even adorable; is he semi-inventing the “Uber” concept in the first half? Loses its way somewhat after Naji is taken out of action, and leading to a finale