How sad is this?

Absolutely Fantastic

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

a seductive film. first for its flavor. a delicate - precise adaptation. and the bricks of an Oriental fairy-tale. one of impressive roles of Omar Shariff and a wise speech about values, truth and deep side of happiness. a film about friendship as key of life sense. a movie about small things. and about the root - book of each existence. a form of delight and wise manner to discover reality. and inspired art to use symbols - the clouds, the dance, the books. one of that adaptations who makes the source better, giving to it a special form of light, new nuances, more convincing marks. short, a good occasion of reflection and meeting with rare form of beauty of images, dialogs and atmosphere. an oasis, remembering cultural lines, inspiring peace and refined optimism.

In reading some of the comments here, I wondered if I had seen the same movie.We are being told a story that consists entirely of Momo's memories, impressions and, possibly, fantasies of when he was growing up.So it seems strange that, for example, some reviewers complain here that there is not enough formal comparative religion or, God/Allah/Yahweh help us, that the film is antisemitic.I also wondered why no-one (apparently) mentioned what Momo found inside M. Ibrahim's Koran (which surprised and intrigued me) and what that might mean.The message boards didn't help much -- and there was more ranting about more or less nothing and "facts" that seems unlikely, to say the least.Then I found the author's site and things started to make a lot more sense.Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt tells us that Momo and Monsieur Ibrahim are two people who pass unnoticed through the world. Momo is an only child with no mother, and a father who barely deserves the name of 'father', too sunk in depression to take care of his son and bring him up, or teach him and hand on to him a taste for life and its principles. As for Monsieur Ibrahim, the only thing anyone asks of him is that he give them the correct change. Both man and boy change their lives as they get to know one another. Their encounter is a marvelous enrichment.The author notes that there has been a lot of verbiage about the fact that the child is Jewish and the grocer Muslim -- "Rightly so. It was a deliberate move to create them like that. I set out to prove something and be provocative. What I wanted to prove was that in many places in the world (European capitals, ports, American cities, North African villages), people of different religions from different backgrounds live together in harmony. In Paris, Rue Bleue, the road where this story takes place and where I once lived and which definitely isn't blue, was largely inhabited by Jews with a few Christians and Muslims. They all shared not only the same street, but daily life, their joys, discontents and conversation. Friendships or mutual understanding developed among these people who came from just about everywhere, either geographically or spiritually. In this unpretentious quartier down from Montmartre, I felt I was living somewhere rich and burgeoning, where cultures met, took an interest in each other and joked about their differences."Also, when Momo is handed Monsieur Ibrahim's old Koran, he finds what was in it -- dried blue flowers. The Koran is the text but it is also what Monsieur Ibrahim has placed in it -- his life, his way of reading, his interpretation. According to the author, "spirituality is not about repeating sentences parrot-fashion, but about grasping the meaning and understanding the concept and shades of meaning, the implications. True spirituality is only worthwhile when obedience and freedom are balanced".There is a quite a bit more that you may find useful and interesting - search "Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt" if you want to explore further.

What a refreshing movie that must contribute to a better understanding between men of diverse religious beliefs. And how great is Omar Sharif's interpretation. We are pleased with the amount of good sentiments. The kindness of this old man toward Momo, the teenager abandoned to himself by his father, who stoles goods to survive in Mr. Ibrahim's grocer's shop, this one closing their eyes on the act that he has well seen, is very moving. When Momo's father disappears, then dies, Mr. Ibrahim treats the young Momo as his child. It his a true hymn to the human fraternity. Overall, the realization is very sensitive and very light. The atmosphere of the district of Paris is particularly well described. It seems to me that this movie is a great one, on a theme very near of the one used on another very good movie: Madame Rosa (Moshe Mizrahi – 1977) played by Simone Signoret.

There's always so much at stake when trying to film novels. So many people have to be pleased, that some will, unfortunately, be left on the outside. But the idea is to remain faithful to the book and make the right choices when casting. If it were to be ideal, the script should cover more ground than the dialogs from within the book, and the director's vision should merge with the contents and atmosphere of the novel. I dare say, "Monsieur Ibrahim" comes very close in all these regards.As a matter of fact it remains nearly 100% faithful to the source: Momo, a young boy living in Paris, neglected by his father, discovers the world around him through women, love and Monsieur Ibrahim, the grocer from the other side of the street. It's a charming and, at times, moving story, mainly because of its innocence. Remaining innocent is always hard. The movie's feel is amazing, as it will probably ease anyone's transcend into Paris of the sixties.Yet, as the end came near, I remained with the regret that the story wasn't improved on...but maybe improve isn't the perfect word. It's a matter of extrapolation, of a greater perspective. A little bit of something more for those who read the book, some kind of innovation.The movie's end is all that doesn't abide by the book and while I do not consider the choice taken as appropriate, it is arguably good enough to pass. It comes down to stressing some ideas.There's little...fundamentalism to be found in "Monsieur Ibrahim". And that's what makes it even more beautiful.