Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi (2003) User Reviews

One of the best movies...

[emilyburd · 9/10 · 21 April 2007]

One of my favorite movies of all times, have seen it three times already. It does a great job of summing up the Isrelai walks of life, Israeli humor, and seriousness, and much of the problems Israelis go through. Universal theme of wanting to be accepted, and be accepted for who you are. Good subtle humor, and it's the charisma of the characters, that makes this movie magic, and says a lot about Isrlaei culture, and the irnonicness, contradictions, and humor, with a great actor in it, Oshri Cohen. I highly recommend it to anyone, and it's a movie perfect for practically anyone, family movie, boyfriend/girlfriend movie, and also says apart from Israeli culture, wanting to be accepted, most of all, how important family is, with all its diversity and imperfections.

Great great movie.

Comic delight, about a marvelous dysfunctional family.

[jaybob · 9/10 · 25 July 2009]

Over the years some of them most enjoyable films have been about dysfunctional families.

Bonjour,Monsieur Sholmi is such a film

This is an Isreali film about a Moroccan Jewish family.

This could be about any family, in any culture. We all know or would want to know people like those in this comic gem.

This 2003 delight was written & directed by Shemi Zorkin. Let us hope he a long career.

The movie is seen through the eyes of the 16 year old son,who seems to be concerned with everyone in the family. Heis brilliantly played by Oshri Cohen (he was 18 when he made the movie.

He has been in a few since & I know I will hunt them up. Hopefully this young man will become an international star.

The entire cast is magnificent,I do hope I see them again.

I loved every person in the cast to some degree.I think all who see this will agree.

It has been nominated for many international awards & has won 8, It deserved every one.

Now being a film in a language besides English it had a very limited run in the USA, which I feel is regrettable.

Rent this film you will be glad you did.

Ratings: ***1/2 (out of 4) 95 points(out of 100) IMDb 9 (out of 10)

NOTE: Since the story is not new, this is as high a rating it can get.

Well worth seeing

[Sonofamoviegeek · 9/10 · 27 March 2011]

Right at the start, you need to know that I'm a fan of Israeli movies, probably because I've stayed in Israel mostly a month or more many times. I go to Israeli Film Festivals and I watch Israeli films on TV on those rare occasions when they're aired. Israel has a small film industry and makes the same proportion of schlock/good entertainment as any country. Given the small total output, it's no surprise that real gems like "Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi" are few and far between.

"Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi" gets it right on all counts, acting, direction, photography and screen writing. The attention to detail is evident in such scenes as when the family is sitting Sheva for the grandfather. The parents are sitting at the kitchen on chairs while Shlomi sits on the floor in tears. While this obviously conveys Shlomi's love for "Saba", it also conveys that, of the whole family, he is the only one who respects the Jewish tradition of mourning while sitting low. The same for Rona who joins Shlomi on the kerb as MDA takes the body to the morgue.

The photography and the sets have captured life outside the large centres perfectly. I just wish that IMDb would provide the filming locations.

The screenwriter(s) have also captured the ethnic undercurrents in Israel. Mizrachi Jews such as Moroccans (Shlomi's father) and Iraqis (his mother) were long considered an underclass until the Ethiopians took over that distinction. Ethnic conflicts over food are one source of the family's dysfunction and the impetus for Shlomi learning imaginative fusion cuisine.

There are layers to this film that lead to good conversation after the credits. I would highly recommend watching this film in a group and discussing afterwards to see what you might have missed.

Excellent

[VisionThing · 10/10 · 1 December 2004]

This happened to be just starting on TV when I opened it, and as I felt too lazy to change the channel, I ended up watching it. Man, was that fortunate.

This film is more of a fairy tale than a demanding drama, and at times openly sentimental one. It is definitely what one could call a feel-good movie, and I usually find such either boring or irritating. Yet this film is so very well done I could not help but love it. The script will not twist your brain; it is conventional, but flawless. The actors are brilliant, every single one is a perfect fit for the role. There is not much of a score, but the bits of music enhance the movie beautifully.

If you can appreciate other things than expensive pyrotechnics, vicious murders or saving the world in a movie, do watch this if you ever have the chance. 5/5

A Beautifully Written Story Brought to Sparling Life

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 17 April 2005]

BONJOUR, MONSIEUR SHLOMI is simply a wonderful film! Writer/Director Shemi Zarhin has created a story unlike any other and cast it with such consistently fine actors that it remains a puzzle to me that this film has not become an audience favorite throughout the world. It is intelligent, emotional, edifying, and warm, entertaining, and in all categories it is a winner.Shlomi (Oshri Cohen, in a brilliantly understated performance) is a 16-year-old lad who takes care of his highly dysfunctional family: his mother (Esti Zakheim) is about as distasteful a shrew as ever concocted and in a constant state of ill temper because of her husband cheated on her, and because she is stuck working double shifts to support her ailing father-in-law (Ariek Elias, who as Shlomi's grandfather is a bright, funny, wise, loving old man who deeply cares for Shlomi); a married sister Ziva (Rotem Abuhab)who periodically moves back in to the house because of constant spats with her husband who doesn't help her care for their infant twin sons; his brother Sasi (Assi Cohen) whose life is loud electric guitars, braggadocio about female conquests, and the favorite son of his mother. Stir this mixture and the result is the penultimate dysfunctional family unit. Shlomi cooks gourmet meals for them, shops, cleans house, runs errands, bathes and cares for this grandfather and in general leads a life of submission to a family that views him as a 'retard'.Shlomi longs for a girlfriend and practically fails his school because of his lack of time devoted to caring for his family and a lack of concentration. Serendipitously his math teacher Begin (Nisso Keavia) notes his natural mathematic genius on a discarded test, and with the aid of the headmaster (Yigal Nair) the two encourage him to be tested and discover that he is a genius (?with dyslexia?) and arrange for him to try for a special school in Haifa. Shlomi's mother will hear none of it but between fights with Shlomi's absentee father (Albert Iluz) and confrontations with the teacher and headmaster they finally consent to his testing for the school.Meanwhile Shlomi discovers a girl his age Rona (Aya Koren) who has moved in next door and gradually the two become intertwined in a physical and intellectual relationship. Always in the background is the support of Shlomi's grandfather, and when the grandfather dies, Shlomi sets off on the journey to live his life for himself, to realize his gifts, to find his happiness. The manner in which the family comes to grips with this is the peak of the movie and need not be revealed for the sake of loosing the power of the message.The film is beautifully photographed, the musical score is creatively lovely, and the final result is one of exaltation of the human spirit. Highly recommended on every level. In Hebrew with English subtitles.

classic "Cinderella" story

[stephen-357 · 24 January 2005]

"I wanted her to think I am fair, and pure are my hands, and clear is my mind." (Natan Alterman)

How can it be that people can live lives so intertwined and yet be so oblivious to the obvious? For Shlomi it'sbecause he's far too focused upon others to consider himself, and for the others, they're far too focused on themselves to consider Shlomi.BONJOUR MONSIEUR SHLOMI has been called a "coming of age feature" but sadly, this sub-genre has become so burdened with garbage, it would be a disservice to relegate such a fine film to that wasteland. SHLOMI is a classic "Cinderella" story that is clever, funny, sad, romantic,charming and gets just about everything right. I started this review with some words from one of Israel's greatest poets, Natan Alterman,who's work plays an important role in this film and this line in particular acts as a blueprint for the way director Shemi Zarhin approaches his subject, and the way his subject approaches love. Shlomi is a 17 year old who is flunking most of his high-school classes and is generally considered by all (including his own family) to be intellectually handicapped. In reality, he's a math genius and musical prodigy. Shlomi lives in a dysfunctional family for which he has assumed the role of primary care giver, but despite his role he's almost completely taken for granted. Shlomi is a gifted cook, and this skill is his primary means of expression and the only weapon he possesses against the chaos that constantly threatens to consume his family life. Shlomi is love with the beautiful 17-year-old that lives next door who is also an object of lust for his cocky, spoiled older brother. By itself, the plot could very easily have sunk into a mire of over-sentimentality and hormonal nausea (we've seen this film a hundred times before!) but SHLOMI manages to soar into the sky like the fading eyes of Shlomi's grandfather who lives in the past while pushing his grandson towards the future - a future filled with choices that are his alone. The acting by everyone in this film is convincing, the cinematography crisp, and the music infectious.

"Sometimes from the night we open astonished eyes and slowly we smile, out of our wisdom and folly. Mother's greyness looks at our lives, the silence of rooms where there is no child." (Natan Alterman)

Highly Recommend this movie...

[AlinaJette · 10/10 · 15 May 2005]

This is a great movie to watch with a good friend, boy/girl friend or family. Basically one of those feel good movies you want to share with your loved ones....without all the girlie crap you find in a lot of American feel good movies. This movie is light hearted but makes you think, and will make you laugh.

Just a really simple but universal plot. Would think most people could relate in some way to this movie. The characters in the movie are amazing and the actors do a great job in sucking you into the movie. And the movie is topped off all along the way with hilarious true to life Jewish humor. I watched the movie for the first time last night, and now I want to own it. :)

great israeli drama

[armorpopo · 10/10 · 26 January 2004]

before watching this movie my thoughts were like "another israeli typical movie" but i was suprised to watch i great israeli drama. the plot is really good and the actors act great. one of the best isreali movies i saw... so at the bottomline i really recommend this movie. :)