MONSIEUR IBRAHIM
Directed by: François Dupeyron.
Produced by: Laurent Pétin & Michèle Pétin.
Written by: François Dupeyron, based on the novel and play Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.
Director of Photography: Rémy Chevrin.
Edited by: Dominique Faysse.
Released by: Sony Picture Classics.
Country of Origin: France. 95 min. Rated: R.
With: Omar Sharif & Pierre Boulanger.
DVD Features: Commentary by Omar Sharif. English & Spanish subtitles.

Moïses, still called by his childhood nickname Momo, buys himself a present for his 16th birthday. He smashes his piggy bank open and approaches the neighborhood streetwalkers. A beautiful blond black woman tells him to come back when he grows up, but cash in hand, he finds another willing woman. This being a French film, his deflowering is depicted, though tastefully. Left to his own devices alone at home, Momo's comings and goings are observed by the neighborhood grocery storeowner, Ibrahim (a still charming Omar Sharif). As Momo buys groceries, his pockets stuffed with shoplifted goods, Ibrahim reads the boy's thoughts and replies that he is not an Arab. He is, in fact, from Turkey. Momo is further surprised when Ibrahim hands him free goods, including cat food to serve to Momo's father as paté. Thus, begins the paternal relationship between an elderly Muslim and a Jewish teenager in 1960s Paris. Throughout this wry, episodic coming-of-age tale, Ibrahim teaches the boy such lessons as the trick of smiling ("A smile can work you wonders"), which Momo immediately demonstrates for a local hooker, and other Zorba the Greek-like homilies: "You can find beauty in everything" and "When you dance, your heart sings." Abruptly, Ibrahim sells his store and buys the flashiest car money can buy. The two embark on a picturesque journey to his homeland.

Fortunately, director Dupeyron's straightforward direction keeps the film clear of cloying sentimentality. An interaction between Momo and a Turkish boy, both intrigued by each other and tentatively becoming friends, is filmed in a wide two-shot, yet the affect is still amusingly touching. Despite plot holes (Momo's abandonment by his parents) and its obvious theme of tolerance, Monsieur Ibrahim remains compelling thanks to Pierre Boulanger as Momo. His vulnerable Momo is also swaggering and cocky. Boulanger joins Keisha Castle-Hughes of Whale Rider as one of this year's strongest juvenile performers. And the lively mood-setting soundtrack includes Timmy Thomas's "Why Can't We Live Together" (perhaps used a bit redundantly) and "Wooly Bully" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs). It's unfortunate that an audience that Monsieur Ibrahim would especially appeal to, male teens, doesn't exactly make up a large segment of the foreign film market. KT
December 5, 2003

DVD Extras: It is a genuine pleasure to listen to Omar Sharif share his affinity for this film. While he does not wax poetic particularly deeply, neither does the film. Besides ruminating over the importance of family and tolerance, he discusses his cinematic career and the difficulty in understanding every aspect of his character. Sharif has nothing but effusive praise for the young Boulanger, and even shares memories of his own boyhood. Perhaps the perfect extra for Father's Day. Michael Fisher
July 30, 2004