One of the rewarding pleasures of movies is watching one with friends, and then chatting about it when the lights come up. The Flix Fest meets on the second Thursday of each month, and offers movies in a comfortable setting with lively discussion afterwards.
September’s film, “Monsieur Ibrahim Et Les Fleurs Du Coran,” is a touching and heartwarming French film from 2003, directed by Francois Dupeyron. It tells the story of a friendship between a Jewish teenager named Momo, played by Pierre Boulanger, and a Turkish Muslim grocer, Monsieur Ibrahim, played by Omar Sharif.
The film is set in a working-class neighborhood in 1960s Paris. Momo lives with his lawyer father, who struggles with severe depression, and cannot meet Momo’s emotional needs after his mother leaves them. Momo, their meal provider, faces a tight household budget, and resorts to occasional thefts from Monsieur Ibrahim, the local “Arab” grocer. Despite noticing these thefts, Monsieur Ibrahim decides to support Momo by encouraging a gradual increase in their friendship. Through their daily shop interactions, Momo finds solace and a sense of security with his newfound connection to the grocer whose wisdom, consistent patience and thoughtful observation creates a stable, non-judgmental environment, a stark contrast to Momo’s cold and hostile home life.
A pivotal moment in the film occurs when Momo’s father abandons him, leaving behind only a short note and a small sum of money on the kitchen table. Momo, while keeping his father’s absence a secret from Monsieur Ibrahim, deepens his connection with the grocer by sharing experiences and learning from his new friend’s unique interpretation of the Koran. Eventually, Monsieur Ibrahim learns of Momo’s father’s abandonment, and seizes the opportunity to broaden Momo’s understanding of the world by impulsively buying a car, and inviting Momo to embark on a road trip to Turkey to visit his hometown.
Momo’s encounter with a Sufi troupe performing the whirling dervishes dance helps him mature and embrace a broader understanding of a different culture. Later, as their car approaches Monsieur Ibrahim’s town, he asks Momo to get out so he can enter his birthplace alone for the first time in many years. The film then unfolds showing how Momo later accepts a new life back in his Paris neighborhood as the inheritor of his friend’s legacy.
Director Francois Dupeyron skillfully evoked nostalgia in this film. With a delicate yet never sentimental touch, he introduces us to two individuals from vastly different ages and backgrounds in an engaging and insightful manner. Pierre Boulanger and Omar Sharif, his two stars, complement each other perfectly, making for an enjoyable viewing experience as we watch them work together.
“M. Ibrahim” will be shown on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m. at 801 Magnolia Ave. Doors open at 12:45 p.m.; the movie is free to anyone 18 and over.
Our next movie is “Grand Budapest Hotel”, a 2014 comedy/drama to be shown on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m.