Le Grand Voyage

Road movies in which a son or daughter bonds with a difficult parent are hardly uncommon, but this one from first-time writer-director Ismael Ferroukhi offers a different perspective. The father, a devout Muslim living in France, asks his son to drive him to Mecca on pilgrimage, and the young man agrees—very reluctantly, since he'll not only have to miss his college-entrance exams, but also leave behind his French girlfriend (whom he's kept secret from his family). Le Grand Voyage follows a somewhat predictable pattern, with the pair alternately bickering and reconciling (the son's secularism also makes it hard for him to understand why the journey is so important to the old man) while meeting intriguing people (a stern old woman, a French expatriate living in Istanbul) along the way. The ending at Mecca will probably come as no great surprise, but the film is redeemed, overall, by gentle, unhurried direction, good performances by the leads, and locations that actually include Bulgaria, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Recommended. (F. Swietek)