Simply Perfect

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

To what degree do we have a duty to society at large? This is one of many questions that are likely to stir in your mind when reflecting on this film. What more could you ask of a documentary except that it expand your knowledge of the world and make you think more about what you already knew and what it means, all while showing you inspiring footage of some of the most dramatic landscapes our planet has to offer?Simply told, cleanly edited, with little cinematic analysis and no pedantic voice-over Unmistaken Child presents a fascinating view into Tibetan Buddhism very worth seeing.And unless you have a trip to Nepal or Tibet scheduled for the near future, see it on the largest screen possible. The dramatic landscape plays a very strong supporting role to the true dramatis personae - the culture nurtured in its valleys beneath the roof of the world - and the social reality that unfolds in this unique region.

Before watching this this well-made documentary I had been interested in Buddhism, but now have lost all respect for the Tibetan form.The film follows a Buddhist priest from village to village and he inquires about likely candidates, examines and tests, looking for "special" traits, until finally he selects one who is clearly advanced in comparison with the others, bright-eyed and intelligent--a precocious toddler whose parents are clearly distressed, as is the child, when he is finally removed from his loving parents to be raised by monks.Any belief system that promotes the taking of children from perfectly good families is utter barbarism. Such cruelty cannot be defended nor condoned on any level except domination and mind control. How better to subjugate a people than to take the best and brightest of their children and brainwash the public into believing this is for some divine purpose. Such a practice is repugnant to the extreme.The child's selections of beads and trinkets is proof of nothing but a precocious ability to read queues from the facial expressions and body language of those surrounding him. It was theater staged to subjugate the gullible.

***SPOILERS AHOY!*** Writing as a practising Buddhist, I saw this gem on TV late one night (it was actually shown on BBC4 as 'The Baby and The Buddha', so watch out for it). Other reviews commend the beauty and emotion of the film, the breath-taking landscapes, and while these are all indeed true, it was the 'affirmation' that touched me most. Let me explain what I mean... Firstly let me apologise for putting such a heavy Buddhist slant on this; I'm hoping there are like-minded people out there who can appreciate what I'm about to say! If not and you're just curious, thanks for looking! OK, here we go.... Watching the child react to being given the Rosary Beads that were his in the previous life, and how he puts them around his neck and won't be parted from them; his reaction to the finger drums, the bells etc of that earlier life; how he shows an unshakable confidence and authority when granting blessings to his disciples, and so on. I found this to be very jarring to watch, and it has been an enormous inspiration to my Dharma practise (following the Buddhist Path). Us 'Westerners' have and will always struggle with the Buddhist belief of Rebirth, and the conditions that naturally arise from this (such as the existence of the 6 Realms, Mother- Beings, etc), but this superb film spells out to us that these aren't just mystical traditions, but ACTUAL occurrences. What better proof do our inquisitive and questioning minds need? Think about it. If you watch the film with a sincere heart, you will become convinced that the child is indeed the Buddhist Geshe reborn, or a 'Rinpoche'. Therefore, rebirth at the end of this life will definitely happen for us all, and it follows that it HAS happened to us countless times before. My Wife struggles with a lot of these concepts, but now I have actual proof to wave under her nose! It's up to us 'Westerners' to suspend our disbelief, and embrace this seemingly far-fetched idea as actual fact. That is why I feel that this film is so important. In the film, Geshe-La was reborn in a Human form because of his life-long devotion to the Three Jewels; if we follow the example ourselves and practise Dharma purely and sincerely (as lay-persons like me, not necessarily as fully ordained Monks) then we will surely be reborn in the Human Realm, and have the precious opportunity to continue our Dharma practises. So, that's what I meant when I said that I found the film to be 'affirming'. It strengthens one's faith in the Buddhist belief of Rebirth, which then inspires one's study of Dharma, and in taking Refuge in the Three Jewels. Amazing stuff. Every Buddhist should own a copy. Go to Amazon and click the buy button RIGHT NOW!!!! lol Thanks for reading :-)

A young monk was given the sacred task of finding The One - the reincarnated child of his master who recently passed away. It proved almost too confusing and stressful for him: "Because I never planned for my life, you see. Everything was planned by Geshe-la: You are going to do this, you'll do that. So I always say 'yes', just follow, and I didn't think at all about what is going to happen next." Yet he came through, following the signs, guidance from older monks and his instincts.An interesting character study indeed, of a simple, obedient youth who came from a humble village at the poorest corner of Earth, grew up in a convent, ended up shaping a world event through sheer devotion of religious faith. This is no laughing matter - this zealous personality actually believes everything he dreamed and imagined as the godly truth.One interesting scene that's perhaps the most revealing moment of the film, is when this monk after hours of meditation, appeared spiritually enchanted by the harmonious nature, told the camera: "Everybody would dance, every nature, tree would dance... Such as this flower, so beautiful, happy and free." He unplugged the flower from the back of his ear and started mimicking dancing movement, then suddenly realized the flower would live no longer... so he said: "But sorry anyway, I... I took permission from the tree." It is not hard to imagine what would become of that adorable, bright, innocent little "unmistaken" child. Any amusement I might have felt earlier was completely overshadowed by sadness and grief, after watching the 2nd half of this extremely objective and unflinchingly passive documentary.