France, 2003
Director: Francois Dupeyron
Cast: Omar Sharif, Pierre Boulanger, Gilbert Melki
Score: **

MONSIEUR IBRAHIM, based on famed Jewish author and playwright Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s novel of the title MONSIEUR IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE KORAN, is director Dupeyron’s earnest tale of the friendship of two highly different individuals. One is Momo (Pierre Boulanger), a young Jew, alone and ignored by his sometimes abusive father (Gilbert Melki) and the other an Arab-looking Muslim shopkeeper by the name of Ibrahim (Omar Sharif, looking strangely distant).  This scenario offers intriguing issues that would make exciting drama – like the differences in life’s outlook as depicted by the two religions or the incompatibilities resulting from age differences.  But the script (co-written by both Dupeyron and Schmitt) unfortunately dismisses both as trivial.  Momo does not consider himself Jewish, so whatever conflicts immediately disappear.  As for age, Momo’s adulthood is emphasized, as he encounters his first sexual act with a local prostitute.

Despite the open setting of the Parisienne streets and the travelogue during the film’s second half, Dupeyron’s film feels claustrophobic and stage-bound.  At least the music and props create a convincing 60’s Paris.  The peripheral characters such as Momo’s father or the kindly prostitute are under-written and serve only minor distractions.  Isabelle Adjani has a neat cameo as the Brigitte Bardot look alike star. 

When Dupeyron’s film finally gets into motion, the duo takes off for Turkey crossing borders of the other countries on the way.  (As if only the metaphor of the two doing the same traveling together could not be made any clearer?) Dupeyron gained international recognition when his last film, THE OFFICERS’ WARD, a dramatic account of one soldier’s acceptance of reality with the coping with war’s injuries affected audiences’ emotions.  MONSIEUR IBRAHIM, however, is only mildly entertaining, slightly humorous and non-confrontational, after having side stepped away all the major issues.

Review by Gilbert Seah