Monsieur Ibrahim

Rating:
Summary: A tale of acceptance vs. yearning
Review: "Monsieur Ibrahim" is a film where the two main subjects absolutely ponder one all-important question: "Would I rather be poor and happy, or would I prefer to be poor and unhappy?". This question is built around the central storyline of the movie, as well as the above subjects striving toward attaining any sort of purpose for their existence. As we find out, the elder subject, Monsieur Ibrahim (Omar Sharif), is quite content with his existence, getting satisfaction in running a small "grocery" shop while helping out "...Ibrahim"'s other main subject, Moses (or "Momo", as certain elders refer to him), who, in the movie, is 14 years of age when Momo's and Ibrahim's paths first cross. Momo (Pierre Boulanger), while living with & helping out his father, finds a valuable friend & confidant in Ibrahim, and finds out there's more to life than monetary posessions (& fast women!). Ibrahim's grand wisdom and religious belief(s) hopes to get his newfound young friend to see the big picture, and to help Momo gain a valuable insight on the philosophical side of life, traits Ibrahim believes which will carry a person further than anything else in life, beyond fame & money. Momo, precarious, vibrant youngster that he is, would really rather experience the world through his own vaguely wandering eyes, through images of sexual lust and a desire to be popular. These images enable our inquisitive charge to become the ultimate teenage Casanova (to the delight of wanderlust hookers on the mean streets of Paris), although, on the other hand, Momo's father sees himself as a failure who hasn't lived up to his own expectations of what a father should be to his own son, in his own exact words. Also along this journey, some other answers are hidden amogst the clouds in this vast, Euro-Asian sky, as our two protagonists become tighter & tighter with each country they travel through. As for the movie's socio-political, religious and cultural implications, these teach us that no two people have to be of the same religious background, nor be of the same ethnic race or social class to live in absolute perfect harmony (as the Turkish-Arab & French-Jewish subjects featured here would otherwise suggest as a unified whole). It is films like this whose educable value (& purpose) is to allow various opposing factions who may be at war, to take a closer look at themselves in the mirror, and realize that the actions both sides are carrying out are nothing more than acts of vain stupidity. If those religious & ethnic groups who have committed such acts of cowardice took an extremely close & careful look at "Monsieur Ibrahim", then they will have come to realize that they've also wasted a large group of human lives in the tumultuous process, causing them to say to themselves: "Gosh, golly gee, we went through all of this for nothing, and caused many a human death in the process". So, whatever definition of acceptance and yearning one is apt to take with them long after "Monsieur Ibrahim"'s effects have subsided, it is one film that will leave a large amount of satisfaction, not to mention an overabundance of smiles & tears to millions of faces around the globe. It's all happening at your local theater now, and is sure to be a must-own title to have in that all-important video/DVD library. A Sony Classics Production, featuring English subtitles.

Rating:
Summary: Trés belle- The perfect antidote to Summer blockbusters
Review: "This is the first time I've seen you rent a foreign language film on your own", said my wife, knowing I usually need heckling to watch something without frequent explosions or some sci-fi "high concept". I think that after recently reviewing I, Robot, Harry Potter III and The Day After Tomorrow I needed a change of pace and watching this beautiful film was a thoroughly pleasant way to spend a Sunday evening.

This is a coming-of-age movie set in 1960s Paris about a young Jewish boy, Moses (Momo), with a rapidly-dwindling immediate family and his burgeoning friendship with local Sufi Muslim corner shop keeper, the titular Monsieur Ibrahim. The kid is charming but probably won't be changing any of your prejudices about French teenagers when he becomes the local prostitutes' favourite and romances the girl next door.

Sharif shines as Ibrahim, coming on like the friendly uncle you never had, dispensing sage advice to young Momo just when he needs it most. And although there is tragedy lurking behind both protagonists' lives, the film is never maudlin and raises your spirits at the most unlikely times. There are also many gently comic moments such as the menu Momo and Ibrahim put together for Momo's vindictive father or trying to buy a new car with cash. People in the film tend to receive their karmic comeuppance without it seeming too forced or far-fetched.

This is a moving, gentle film about the importance of friendship and spirituality. Although set some forty years ago, the message you get at the end is that these things are just as important today and the cyclic nature of history. I thoroughly recommend this film who feels they've overdosed on Hollywood lately and wants a different kind of escapism and assurance on human nature.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful film.
Review: I believe that this is the best film of the year. It was just recently released into the main theater run, but before that it was in the art theater circle for a few weeks. Omar Sharif is fantastic, and Pierre Boulanger who was introduced in this movie is sure to have a future ahead of him.

While it is rated R, I don't believe that gives the film justice. There are some sexual references early in the movie, but barely any language and no violence, and there is a wonderful message that can be understood equally by children and adults. The ending, however, is a bit sad and may be too much for some kids.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Monsieur Ibraham is an enjoyable coming of age movie. It's the French version of Cinema Paradiso. The acting is superb, especially Sharif (I didnt know he jnew French) An awesome film that will put a smile on your face.

Rating:
Summary: Quiet Wisdom
Review: MONSIEUR IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE KORAN is an exquisite little film. The story is rather simple on the surface: a 16 year old Jewish boy (Moses Schmitt in an extraordinary portrayal by Pierre Boulanger) is coming of age on Blue Street in Paris (a street that features prostitutes plying their wares) in the late 1950s - early 1960s. His mother deserted both his distant and damaged father (Gilbert Melki) and Moses very early in life and Moses must find his way into adulthood on his own - until he gets to know the 'Arab' (actually an elder Muslim) at the corner grocery (Monsieur Ibrahim brilliantly brought to glowing life by Omar Sharif). To survive, Moses 'shoplifts' food until M. Ibrahim tells him to take what he wants, knowing that his father deprives him of nearly everything. The old man is as gentle and calm and serene ("I know what is in my Koran") as Moses is angry and eager to taste life. Moses uses saved pennies to buy his first sexual encounter with one of the prostitutes and is gradually befriended by many of the 'heart of gold' streetwalkers. Slowly Moses and M. Ibrahim are bond and when Moses' father deserts him and commits suicide, M. Ibrahim adopts him, buys a sporty little car and the two are off on a road trip to Turkey (Ibrahim's Persian home). As the two bond the boy learns much from the spiritually aware old man and we, as the observers, learn much about the differences and similarities of Judaism, Islam, pantheism, and all manifestations of spirtuality. The ending is somewhat predictable but that doesn't diminish the impact of the film. This burnished atmosphere of trust and love is magic in the hands of Director Francois Dupeyron and the performances by Sharif and Boulanger are beautifully nuanced and understated. Even the prostitutes are individuals, not archetypes, and are allowed to deliver tender portrayals of the Oldest Profession. The only problems with this movie are in the apparently important threads, such as the father's constant mention of 'Paulie' (Moses' brother) who by the end of the story never existed, and in the development of the road trip which veers a bit too far off course to maintain the otherwise perfect momentum. But small tarnishes, these, and not important enough to prevent this movie as being placed among the more important films of the past year or so. Highly Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: SHARIF STILL HAS IT IN SPADES..
Review: Monsieur Ibrahim could have so easily been played out as a timid father-son buddy flick, but while it is not a singularly unusual tale, it does carry a decent measure of frolic and sentiment.

Sharif as an elderly Muslim immigrant grocer in Paris knocks one out of the park with his bravura performance. His charisma is infectious as he spews aphorisms left and right. And his counterpart, a young boy going astray, does a poignant turn of coming of age. As he explores his budding sexuality and navigates the trials of his first love, he comes into the sphere of the elderly grocer's friendship and some interesting interactions ensue.

The first 60% of the movie contains several small pleasures, including the boy's interaction with "worker" women , the way he and the grocer play trivial tricks on his father, his infatuation with a local girl, and his trip to buy a new car. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much loses its way after that, as the two protagonists take to the road for a trip to Turkey.

The ending is ambiguous in an unsatisfying way, and, although there is a definitive denouement, I left the film not seeming to care as much about the fates of the protagonists as I would have liked to.

Yet, for its enthralling views of Turkey and the fun histrionics of Sharif, I'd surely recommend this as a decent rental. One wonders if it would stand to a second viewing though.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet and engaging, but a bit too short and sketchy...
Review: The coming-of-age movie is a really tricky thing to pull off. Most of them are either raunchy and vapid, and then others are too introspective and just cloying. Well, this lightweight of a French film, which has gotten rave reviews for Sharif's justifiably great performance, is a little bit of both and - in the end - neither. Ibrahim begins with a toe-tapping, swingin' 60's soundtrack as Moses Schmitt (Pierre Boulanger) practices pickup lines for hookers, and for a while it does seem like a New Wave-inspired flick complete with handheld camera angles and a negletive father. Schmitt, a Jew, soon picks up with the local grocer (Sharif, the title character) who happens to be a Muslim, and as their strange friendship develops, director Duperyon's adaptation reaches high for themes of clashing religion and the shared experiences of the young and old. And for the most part, Ibrahim is an enjoyable ride. I enjoyed its light feel, Boulanger's breakout performance, and the fact that the kid is the uptight cynic and Sharif's Ibrahim turns out to be the wide-eyed life-lover.

Unfortunately, though, Ibrahim just can't juggle all of its plot strands and be a truly meaningful film in the end - the neglectful father leaves and Ibrahim adopts, Schmitt's mother drops in, the new father and son take a (lazily edited) road trip...and then the movie ends in a tragedy that you'll see coming a mile away. The movie's short and harmless, by all means, but the movie just doesn't make sense in an emotional way; we never see enough of the developing friendship of Schmitt and Boulanger. And the final tragedy? Well, the dialogue is so ham-handed it seems ripped straight from a novel (which it probably was). As much as I admired and enjoyed the light tone of Ibrahim, intelligently laced with a current of sadness beneath, it never can let the two coexist and just ends up being disappointing. GRADE: B-