This is one of many successful movies done by the distinguished dual: writer (Mahmood Abo Zeed) and director (Ali Abd El Khallk) such as: (El 'aar) or (The Shame) in (1982), (EL- Keef) or (The Frame of Mind) in (1986), and (Garry El Wohoosh) or (The Beasts' Running) in (1987).
In (EL- Keef), they expressed how people in certain circumstances need to be unconscious whether by drugs or bad art. This round, the people are unconscious already with their faith in magic and quackery.
One of the best things in here is the characterization of the lead character. (Abo Zeed) brilliantly made (Moustataa') as a philosophy teacher who owns all the logic thinking and scientific theories, however in a society which doesn't care about any of that. He turned into that capable sorcerer simply because he knows, and teaches, the way of people's thinking, to be the perfect one to manipulate them all along. It represents ironically the fate of science in a world that rejects it.
I like many scenes, where comedy and satire are discretely braided. For instance, the one where (Moustataa') charms the young wife; who her husband can't deal with her sexually well. That charm was nothing but a good make-up, some confidence, and a cynical improvised spell with all the names of the most fascinating female stars in the Egyptian cinema (that was genius!). Or the scene of the rich women's session, where (Moustataa') reads their minds only by the power of logic. And on the top of all; the climactic interrogation scene, where the lead confesses his truth and everybody refuses it, because they want to believe the lie, as long as it's comfortable!
There are some songs to show the lead character's journey, plus his transformation from thoughtful to deceitful. With their funny lyrics, they assured the sarcastic spirit of the whole thing. Btw, it's common in the Egyptian movies, even if they are not musicals, to use songs for underlining emotions or thoughts. And it was positive that this movie's songs didn't hindered its pace.
Director (Ali Abd El Khallk) tried to fasten the pace in the long conversations' scenes, by filming them through so many varying angles and different cadres. He pulled off a lively character for the movie. I just hated putting a product placement in-your-face at one scene!
Director of photography (Sa'ed El Shimmi) makes a fine job as he always does. See how the office of Moustataa' looked like a cave of another quack yet a la modern, or how his encounter with the old quack seemed like a bullfight. It's how to embody the atmosphere and the conflict in a visually talented way.
(Ahmed Zaki) is great both as star and actor. (Mahmood El-Sabba') as the old quack was genuinely scary; mainly casting him, after years of being out of the movies, was right on many levels. (Ahmed Touffik) was magnificent as the government's powerful man and the helpless father. And (Ma'ale Zayed) is superb as usual, but unlike the traditional heroine in our cinema, she doesn't end up in the lead's arms; in fact, this movie - as its lead - didn't have anytime for a love story!
There is something a bit laconic about the ending, especially the matter of depositing the governmental high executive. The movie didn't go deep into the lead's history, or love life. And his monologues to his sidekick got a bit long, as if the writer was lecturing, more than informing or ridiculing. Yes, the script maintained a specific middle between the comedy and the social commentary, however I think that being light applied to the drama as well. So the movie was eventually a caricature with something serious to say, while with more drama and less directness; it could have lived longer.
(El Bedda We El Haggr) or (The Egg & The Stone) exposes the human necessity of illusion, through a comedy. Maybe I longed for more, but this doesn't deny that the movie is intelligent, effective and amusing.
PS: (El-Baydha Wal Hagar) or (The Egg & The Stone) is an expression in the Egyptian slang stands for quackery.
In (EL- Keef), they expressed how people in certain circumstances need to be unconscious whether by drugs or bad art. This round, the people are unconscious already with their faith in magic and quackery.
One of the best things in here is the characterization of the lead character. (Abo Zeed) brilliantly made (Moustataa') as a philosophy teacher who owns all the logic thinking and scientific theories, however in a society which doesn't care about any of that. He turned into that capable sorcerer simply because he knows, and teaches, the way of people's thinking, to be the perfect one to manipulate them all along. It represents ironically the fate of science in a world that rejects it.
I like many scenes, where comedy and satire are discretely braided. For instance, the one where (Moustataa') charms the young wife; who her husband can't deal with her sexually well. That charm was nothing but a good make-up, some confidence, and a cynical improvised spell with all the names of the most fascinating female stars in the Egyptian cinema (that was genius!). Or the scene of the rich women's session, where (Moustataa') reads their minds only by the power of logic. And on the top of all; the climactic interrogation scene, where the lead confesses his truth and everybody refuses it, because they want to believe the lie, as long as it's comfortable!
There are some songs to show the lead character's journey, plus his transformation from thoughtful to deceitful. With their funny lyrics, they assured the sarcastic spirit of the whole thing. Btw, it's common in the Egyptian movies, even if they are not musicals, to use songs for underlining emotions or thoughts. And it was positive that this movie's songs didn't hindered its pace.
Director (Ali Abd El Khallk) tried to fasten the pace in the long conversations' scenes, by filming them through so many varying angles and different cadres. He pulled off a lively character for the movie. I just hated putting a product placement in-your-face at one scene!
Director of photography (Sa'ed El Shimmi) makes a fine job as he always does. See how the office of Moustataa' looked like a cave of another quack yet a la modern, or how his encounter with the old quack seemed like a bullfight. It's how to embody the atmosphere and the conflict in a visually talented way.
(Ahmed Zaki) is great both as star and actor. (Mahmood El-Sabba') as the old quack was genuinely scary; mainly casting him, after years of being out of the movies, was right on many levels. (Ahmed Touffik) was magnificent as the government's powerful man and the helpless father. And (Ma'ale Zayed) is superb as usual, but unlike the traditional heroine in our cinema, she doesn't end up in the lead's arms; in fact, this movie - as its lead - didn't have anytime for a love story!
There is something a bit laconic about the ending, especially the matter of depositing the governmental high executive. The movie didn't go deep into the lead's history, or love life. And his monologues to his sidekick got a bit long, as if the writer was lecturing, more than informing or ridiculing. Yes, the script maintained a specific middle between the comedy and the social commentary, however I think that being light applied to the drama as well. So the movie was eventually a caricature with something serious to say, while with more drama and less directness; it could have lived longer.
(El Bedda We El Haggr) or (The Egg & The Stone) exposes the human necessity of illusion, through a comedy. Maybe I longed for more, but this doesn't deny that the movie is intelligent, effective and amusing.
PS: (El-Baydha Wal Hagar) or (The Egg & The Stone) is an expression in the Egyptian slang stands for quackery.
