Other Titles • Monsieur Ibrahim (2004) • Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran • Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran
Synopses for Monsieur Ibrahim (2003)
1.
Some crowded Parisian atmosphere and the burnished presence of Omar Sharif make this coming-of-age tale a pleasure. It's the early 1960s, and an adolescent Jewish boy (Pierre Boulanger), mostly left to his own devices by an ineffectual father, makes friends with the worldly wise Persian man (Sharif) who runs a small neighborhood grocery. The kid's fumbling experiences with sexual curiosity are the reliable stuff of many a French movie, but the unlikely friendship of young Jew and old Muslim make for an offbeat through-line. Francois Dupeyron's film shifts gears in its final section, moving from its flavorful location and into the wide-open spaces, and it goes on too long with too many pieces of advice. But overall this is a warm and winning experience, with Omar Sharif holding an instructive class in the power of understated movie-star charisma. --Robert Horton
2.
IN THEATRES: FEBRUARY 20, 2004 (NY)
Vividly portraying a 1960s Paris neighborhood where lower-class status unites residents of varied religious and ethnic backgrounds, MONSIEUR IBRAHIM follows the universally appealing story of a young boy's coming of age. Moses (Pierre Boulanger), a Jewish teenager, lives in an apartment with his depressed father. His father's detachment leaves Moses with ample time for listening to rock music, pursuing alluring prostitutes, and making daily visits to the corner grocery where he befriends the owner, Monsieur Ibrahim (Omar Sharif). Monsieur Ibrahim looks the other way when Moses steals food, teaches him the difference between being Arab and being Muslim, and dispenses advice on life, love, and happiness. When Moses' father eventually abandons him, Monsieur Ibrahim adopts him and cements the father-son bond that each of them desperately needs.
Though never the focus of the film, the exploration of religion and ethnicity underscores French attitudes toward immigrants in that era, and establishes differences between the main characters. Moses' openness to learning about Monsieur Ibrahim's Sufi practices and studying the Koran reflects not only the blending of cultures in 20th-century France, but also the boy's yearning for parental direction, values, and affection. A brilliant cast--including a thoughtful performance by Sharif--and a period-perfect soundtrack of American and French rock music, enhance the already compelling story. In the tradition of other films that examine the importance of the father figure, like KOLYA and THE BICYCLE THIEF, MONSIEUR IBRAHIM provides a complex, touching, humorous study of this fundamental relationship.
3.
Two Different Generations. Two Separate Religions. The Unlikeliest of Friendships
Screen legend Omar Sharif (Hidalgo, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago) is Monsieur Ibrahim, an elderly widower who owns a grocery store in a shabby, working-class section of Paris. His life takes on new meaning when he befriends Momo, a lonely teenage boy (Pierre Boulanger). in Ibrahim, Momo finds the father he never had, a patient man infused with kindness and a wisdom that he freely shares. And Momo awakens within Ibrahim a taste for grand adventure, which takes them on a journey that will change their lives forever.
"A beautiful testament to the power of love. A wonderful story that celebrates what holds us together rather than pulls us apart." - Paul Clinton, CNN
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