MovieChat Forums > Lakposhtha parvaz mikonand (2005) Discussion > My review on why this movie was not good

My review on why this movie was not good

posted 18 years ago by Puckman751
15 replies | jump to latest

Bahman Ghobadi’s acclaimed foreign film award winner “Lakposhtha hâm parvaz mikonand” or “Turtles Can Fly” was nominated for multiple “Best Picture” awards for a foreign film as well as multiple “Best Director” for a foreign film awards. It was also selected as Iran's submission in the Best Foreign Film category for the 2004 Oscars. The film is set in Ghobadi's native Kurdistan, close to the Turkey-Iran border. Soran, or Satellite, is in charge of a group of 13-year-old refuge children who falls for a girl named Agrin but is turned off by her brother Henkov, who after stepping on a land mine and losing both his arms can now seemingly predict the future.
Many people say this movie was heartwarming, touching and an overall unforgettable piece of cinematic work. I strongly disagree. The one thing the movie did for me was put things in perspective about how the Iraqi children live and what they have to do to live. But even this is not good enough for me. Satellite is to busy running around and giving orders acting like he is a big shot to realize how pathetic his life is. Bahman Ghobadi, who also wrote the film, directs it through his eyes and writes what he thinks the children would say and how they would react. It is not a documentary and it is not based on real events.
Next is the significance of the title. No movie review that I have read has talked about it and is barely mentioned in the film. The conclusion that I have come to is the way some of the characters die. Turtles can swim underwater no problem but babies cannot. Birds can fly but humans cannot.
The way the film was shot was the only thing that actually kept me interested. The film opens up with a bang as we see Agrin jump off a cliff but in the next shot, we see her sitting down, perfectly fine. It is directed the same way J.J. Abrams shot “Mission Impossible 3” by showing a bit of the ending first and then showing the audience how it gets there. The film also uses tons of foreshadowing such as the mine scene. When Satellite is trying to rescue the baby, Shirkooh screams to him “Don’t do it! I had a nightmare of you last night!” right after that, Satellite injures his leg as a result of the baby stepping on the mine.
In the end, the movie didn’t do it for me. The acting didn’t cut it nor did the writing. The way the movie was shot was all that kept me intrigued. There was not a lot of character development and there wasn’t that “WOW” factor. My favorite part: the end credits.

[–] kevincole-1 18 years ago

You take your cues from MI:3. Nuff said.

[–] marijne23 18 years ago

I have a feeling that you like action packed American movies. Did you even get this movie? Do you understand that this IS how many children live in Iraq or the rest of former Kurdistan? Do you even understand the tragedy portrayed in this movie? Do you even have feelings?

[–] Puckman751 18 years ago

I have feelings. This movie wasn't real. If it was true then I would have felt remorse.

[–] kchikurd11 18 years ago

I am a Kurd and I can assure you this movie is based on facts. I know the whole telling the future thing wasn't real but it was a Child's instinct. I have lost 5 Uncles, SO MANY COUSINS, aunts, and a grandfather all because of Saddam and his mines and Chemical gases. If you only knew how he treated my family. My dad brought us to the United States because Saddam Hussein was going to hang EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN MY FAMILY because my dad worked for the U.S. There are so many people in Kurdistan whose children don't have arms or legs. Uhh if you only knew how bad it was! We weren't allowed to make movies and this guy is the only director I now of and he only wanted the WORLD to know how we lived. Maybe for some, how they STILL live. Until now, my mom always has nightmares about the way she was treated. Honey, what you saw in that movie is not 1/3 of how bad it was and might still be in Kurdistan.

[–] Puckman751 18 years ago

I'm sorry for what you and your family have gone through and hopefully you are having a better life in the States but I still didn't enjoy the movie.

[–] kchikurd11 18 years ago

Well thank you and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. My brother didn't like this movie either so it doesn't matter.

[–] samir_ash 16 years ago

THIS GUY IS A NUT CASE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE IS WATCHING OR ANYTHING ABOUT REALITY ,THIS IS NOT MI1 OR 3 DUMDUM ,I THINK YOU WILL NEVER EVER IN THIS LIFE WILL UNDERSTAND THIS MOVIE SO ALL I CAN SAY OPEN YOUR EYES GROW UP SUFFER SEE FEEL AND THEN YOU CAN SHARE ,OR SIT BACK AND KEEP WATCHING J.J ABRAMS CRAPPY *beep*

[–] gyarados_scotty 17 years ago

No, he's not. He didn't like the movie.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] kpjf 16 years ago

Fair enough puckman, you didn't like the film. Nonetheless to be honest you are saying a lot of things, but not saying much at the same time. I would've accepted it if your post said something like this film won loads of awards etc but quite frankly it didn't do much for me. But you start of with this big long intro!

Many people say this movie was heartwarming, touching and an overall unforgettable piece of cinematic work. I strongly disagree

Well, it's clearly subjective; some movies touch people whereas for others it's just mushy melodrama. But let's think about it; you sit down and take time to write a long post about this film, obviously it affected you, it doesn't matter that it is in a negative way. Therefore the film achieved something.

Satellite is to busy running around and giving orders acting like he is a big shot to realize how pathetic his life is.

And this is a flaw, because...?

Next is the significance of the title. No movie review that I have read has talked about it and is barely mentioned in the film. The conclusion that I have come to is the way some of the characters die. Turtles can swim underwater no problem but babies cannot. Birds can fly but humans cannot.

So, your next attack is the title. How does this make the film bad? No movie review has touched upon the title, so what? I don't see your point, you do touch on a good point in your quote in bold though, but as for these being attacks on the film's quality, i don't get it.

In the end, the movie didn’t do it for me. The acting didn’t cut it nor did the writing. The way the movie was shot was all that kept me intrigued. There was not a lot of character development and there wasn’t that “WOW” factor. My favorite part: the end credits.

After this long post this is the only actual proper attack on the film. Fair enough it didn't do it for you, but a film not doing it for you and a film being bad are 2 completely different things. I don't really go for programmes like star trek or babylon 5 but i'm not going to start attacking them simply because they're not my cup of tea!

The acting didn’t cut it nor did the writing.

Fair enough, but do you really think irak is blessed with millions of actors to choose from, like the states? Most of these actors are probably not even professionals. Okay, i'm not saying just because irak isn't a country renowned for actors that we are saying we can ignore it if the acting is sub-par. I seen this film ages ago, and can't really remember what the acting was like.

There was not a lot of character development

Why does there need to be character development? I have seen many foreign films whereby it's just shooting the daily life of the actors and it's just simply a good film, nothing happens, but still it is good. What you need to ask yourself is do you dislike films in this style, if so, then you should simply avoid films like this. It's like say i say to you i hate action films, watch an action film, then say i hated this film; there was loads of action scenes!

...and there wasn’t that “WOW” factor

Were you going into the cinema, or putting this in your dvdplayer with some expectations of being 'wowed'? If so, this is the wrong way to approach a film. Okay at times i have heard loads of hype about a film and watched it and thought it wasn't as good as i thought, but for a film to not have the wow factor, i don't think makes it a bad film.

[–] FurMint 16 years ago

I agree with him - too little CGI effects. I'll go watch Transformers now.

/sarcasm

This is not the angle of the dangle!! This is not the angle of the dangle!!!!

[–] suppiekun 16 years ago

Disagreements on 2 major points:

"Next is the significance of the title. No movie review that I have read has talked about it and is barely mentioned in the film. The conclusion that I have come to is the way some of the characters die. Turtles can swim underwater no problem but babies cannot. Birds can fly but humans cannot."

There are different points of view on this, I have taken Pan-African Studies and my class was able to have a discussion on this point, and what I was able to draw out of the title was the circumstances that the Kurdistan people were enduring. They don't have a land to call their own, they're living on the border seperating Turkey and Iran - so essentially they are moving constantly, taking their homes with them. Turtles carry their house on their back, signifying to me that just like turtles walk and carry their home where ever they go, the same idea applies to the Kurds. The word Fly I interpreted to mean hope, hope for a better tomorrow where orphan children are not disarming bombs on the hill side next to their camping area.

"Satellite is to busy running around and giving orders acting like he is a big shot to realize how pathetic his life is."

There's so much I can write about how you haven't seen the development of Satellite, but you're point on how he doesn't realize how pathetic his life is - not true. Satellite understands that there is money in knowing English, that's why we see him give snippits of American phrases, and because he is the only person with mobility, his bike, he is given a lot of respect - possibly even more than his elders. Everyone is waiting for the Americans to arrive but when they do come Satellite realizes that his usefulness is over. His foot is injured, his bike is in shambles, and a significant scene to this is when Pashow is excited about the Americans passing by with their tanks and what not, but Satellite turns his back - he doesn't face them; I don't think it would be correct to say that he realizes he's pathetic but more of that he doesn't know what he will become or do after the Americans come.

[–] shamievr 16 years ago

Forest Gump had a glimpse of reality, but i'm sure there is no mentally disable person in the army, they'd put everyone in danger. It's a Script.Yet everyone liked the movie. This is also a script, but I bet it is whats going on daily in that part of the world. Those little actors reflected the ignorance that comes with the age, and the knowleged that comes with experience. It was heartbreaking to know that they were actual refugees.

[–] TheCineSinge 12 years ago

Many films before Mission Impossible 3 (and good films at that) have used this narrative style to great effect.
I wouldn't say it was put to amazing use in this film but I question your judgement using MI:3 as a reference point when there are countless better examples.

This is a good film, tough but good yet not as good as it seems to be regarded by many people.

[–] PsychoDingo 11 years ago

I agree that it's not a very good review. keep working on your writing, and you will hopefully see some improvement

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