La Petite Jérusalem

2005

1h 36m

Drama

List

62%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

67%

Audience Score

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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Wesley Morris

Boston Globe

Rated: 2/4

Nov 24, 2011

Full Review

Marta Barber

Miami Herald

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.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 15, 2006

Full Review

Susan Walker

Toronto Star

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.

Rated: 3/4

May 19, 2006

Full Review

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

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

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 16, 2006

Full Review

Liz Braun

Jam! Movies

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.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 19, 2006

Full Review

Jules Brenner

Cinema Signals

Albou is adventurous in intermixing a young woman's coming-of-age with a search for secular belief but her story is a bit shy on drama.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 13, 2006

Full Review

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Serge L

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/11/17

Full Review

Audience Member

"La Petite Jerusalem" is a sensitive film about religion, intolerance, philosophy and repressed desire. The story exposes how religion may affect relationships through the dilemma of two sisters raised a conservative community. The older one misunderstands and is confused about the limits of intimacy of a couple, and the younger feels how prejudice and intolerance may affect relationships even of those that are less religious or more open-minded. The magnificent performances are very realistic and Fanny Valette is an extremely beautiful woman. My vote is seven.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

god eludes philosophy god eludes reason...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This was a very good movie. It felt real as if we were not looking at actors. The ending left a sense of oppourtunity for the main character Laura. It was up to the viewers to decide what will happen to Laura. It was a movie that dealt with identity and choice.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A quiet, thoughtful examination of sexuality and freedom within a Jewish enclave in Paris. Two sisters, who live together and work at the same day care facility, explore what it means to be modest according to their religious traditions, and still express their sexual natures. The elder, Mathilde (Elsa Zylberstein), comes at her dilemma from within the bonds of marriage, to a man who has been unfaithful, and the younger, Laura, as a teenager just beginning to struggle with her urges. Beautifully filmed, with a great deal of tenderness, this proved a most satisfying film. The actors were chosen for their physical and emotional qualities, not because of their religious affiliation, and much of the success can be attributed to that. The girls' mother is played by Sonia Tahar, a non-actor, who was a Jewish mother who answered an open casting call, and was quite a force of nature. At times, this viewer found her character to be incredibly superstitious and overbearing, but the story needed a strong matriarchal anchor, and she amply provided that.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Another Wonderful movie by Karin Albou.. this is the second movie by her I watch .. and I adored her more.. she's really one the directors who knows how to attract your attention.. every camera moving in or out.. every music or song.. every eye movement. .. she just knows how to do it perfectly.. Dealing with the complexity of religion, love and philosphy this movie has become one of my favourites.. it shows the relationship inside a religious jewish family living in france but originating from tunisia.. a Young beautiful girl "Fanny Valette" .. is really beautiful .. and is weired between Kant's philosphy, her strict family and her love... This movie is absolutely recommended for everyone who likes these themes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Karin Albou

Director

Fanny Valette

Laura

Elsa Zylberstein

Mathilde

Bruno Todeschini

Ariel

Hedi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre

Djamel

Sonia Tahar

La mère

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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
Screenwriter: Karin Albou
Production Co: Gloria Films, Canal+, Film Par Film
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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