Critic Reviews

Credit the disarming cast, especially Oshri Cohen as the boy and Arie Ellias as his eccentric grandfather. They help turn what could be a standard comedy into a life-affirming, enjoyable one.

Deftly composed of many small moments, this gentle Israeli film skirts politics to portray a family that is blessedly normal in its internal chaos.

A warm exception to coming-of-age stories that accent the tacky and vulgar aspects of adolescent awakening.

This soulful tale of a teenage underachiever who exhibits flashes of genius is a surprise on the order of wandering the movie desert and finding the Garden of Eden.

A feel-good movie.

''Bonjour" is especially lucky in having Shlomi Bar-Dayan, the 16-year-old misfit of the title, played by a young actor named Oshri Cohen, who's able to convey the impossibility of ever making sense of the world with a single bruised gaze.

The film has the unpolished charm of a diamond in the rough, and it boasts a richer inner life than most of the teen movies currently bouncing off the assembly line.

May ultimately be slight, but its appeal lies in its ability to find hope and strength in the soulful eyes of a gentle teenager.

Falls somewhere between "Cinderella" and "Malcolm in the Middle," and that's pretty much the challenge that faces actor Oshri Cohen, who very nearly pulls it off.

Modest and winning.