| Overall Grade: |
A- |
|
| Story: |
A- |
|
|
| Acting: |
A |
|
|
| Direction: |
A- |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A- |
|
|
A homely French art-house creation
by Yahoo! Movies User (movies profile)
Oct 21, 2004
1
of
1 people found this review helpful
"Monsieur Ibrahim" is an ejoyment to watch. It may not say anything profound, it may elicit the same clichés about religion, racism, and prejudice, but explicated in an original story, backed by the omnipresent and charming Omar Sharif.
The story revolves around a jewish boy (Moise - or more affectionately known as 'Momo'), at the peak of adolescence (15-years-old), wanting to discover sexuality, who discovers much more about life. Momo has a neglectful father, tormented by the loss of a previous son, who was perfect in everyway. This, of course, leads to the uncomfortableness between current father and son: "What can't you be more like your brother..?"
Momo befriends the the local "Arab," (Ibrahim) who owns the corner store across the street. In the witty and often chuckle-humor dialouge between Ibrahim and Momo, the film really achieves its grandeur. There are some solid, surprising plot twists involving Momo's mother and brother and one scene which will educe an ubiquitous gasp from the audience.
The film, set in the 1960s, has an eclectic and authentic music score, appropriate for the time and movie's ambiance. The photography and lighting are aptly accomplished, the direction subtle but grows more whimsical and fantastical in the last 30 minutes of the film as the adventure moves beyond the Paris arondissement. But as whimsical as it may be, it is beautiful to see mountains and the expanse of Greek and early civilization landscapes.
The film is about breaking culture boundries, about the pent-up energy and frustration of adolscence, about the most unlikely of people befriending each other, developing a bond that can all remind us of all these past clichés; but the film, in a novel form, is keenly refreshing. |
My Public Profile 
