La Petite Jérusalem

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La Petite Jérusalem

2005,

1h 36m,

Drama

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62%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

62%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Laura (Fanny Valette), a young philosophy student, lives with her immigrant family in a Jewish enclave in Paris, and is beginning to question the strict dictates of her religion. She feels bad for her sister Mathilde (Elsa Zylberstein), who is married to a philanderer and believes Judaism compels her to stay with him. When Laura meets an attractive Muslim named Djamel (Hedi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre), her sexual desire erodes her commitment to her faith even more.

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Critics Consensus

Little Jerusalem struggles to balance its weightier themes against the character study at its core, but it's elevated by strong performances from its two talented leads.

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Susan Walker

Toronto Star

May 19, 2006

3/4

It is a story told in small moments, the camera close-up on a look, the stroke of a hand, the way a blonde thread is revealed in a husband's jacket.

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

May 19, 2006

2/4

Anyone shopping by the ton for melodrama is well advised to browse the ample display on view in this cinematic square.

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Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

May 12, 2006

3/4

Rich in perceptive details, Albou's film has drawn favorable comparison to the work of Claire Denis (The Intruder, Friday Night), and both directors share a sensual sensitivity to their characters' inner lives.

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Marta Barber

Miami Herald

Sep 15, 2006

2.5/4

This beautiful tale of two sisters living in Sarcelles, a low-income Parisian suburb of mostly new immigrants, presents the darker side of religion while offering a candid view of an Orthodox Jewish family struggling to stay together.

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Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

Aug 16, 2006

1.5/4

The film, which means well in its attempt to touch on Kantian philosophy, racial divides, sex and orthodoxy, and secularism versus religion, manages to insult each one of these heavy subjects by not giving any of them the serious, thoughtful attention the

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Liz Braun

Jam! Movies

May 19, 2006

2.5/5

The background of Little Jerusalem is a grimy landscape, both physical and political, and it overwhelms the fragile exploration undertaken by the sisters. Or maybe that's the whole point.

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Poe S

Jun 11, 2017

The girl living with her very religious jewish family falls for a muslim guy working in the same place. Both sides are forbidding but her desire entice her to go forward with evil exploration. Only, the guy has issues with his family that he does not want to leave. Hence a break up. Great exploration of characters. It was going Roméo and Juliette for a long while, slowly picking up pace. So the end was a break. However, it is open ended.

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Karin Albou

Director

Fanny Valette

Laura

Elsa Zylberstein

Mathilde

Bruno Todeschini

Ariel

Hedi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre

Djamel

Sonia Tahar

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Synopsis

Laura (Fanny Valette), a young philosophy student, lives with her immigrant family in a Jewish enclave in Paris, and is beginning to question the strict dictates of her religion. She feels bad for her sister Mathilde (Elsa Zylberstein), who is married to a philanderer and believes Judaism compels her to stay with him. When Laura meets an attractive Muslim named Djamel (Hedi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre), her sexual desire erodes her commitment to her faith even more.

Director: Karin Albou
Producer: Laurent Lavolé, Isabelle Pragier
Screenwriter: Karin Albou
Production Co: Canal+, Film Par Film, Gloria Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Arabic
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 27, 2006
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.1K
Runtime: 1h 36m

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