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hazemhassanein
Reviews
Asef ala el-Izag (2008)
A 9 in 2008, still a 9 in 2024
I watched this movie in cinema, and at least twice more after, today this had to be the fourth or something. I played it coz I had my girl with me and I wanted to show her something beautiful from our generation. It still stands the test of time. I rated it 9 in 08 and I think it still deserves it for one simple reason: attention to details.
Especially now in 2024 when +90% of Egyptian cinema consists of half cooked plots, mediocre acting and impulsive mostly incoherent screenplay, this movie stands out for respecting its audience enough to tell a simple touching story while going way and above in crafting the plot line, the little details, the side characters and of course the acting. I LOVED Dalal AbdelAziz & Mahmoud Hemeida here, Helmy also did some of his top performances ever in my opinion
Thank you Khaled Marei & Ayman Bahgat, I felt your respect for my time, I felt your love for your craft, you created something genuine, authentic and beautiful that I was able to enjoy again and again and now with my kid with me. Thank you.
The Eye (2008)
Better watched out of focus
Ok I have a confession to make, I usually put something on my bedroom TV for the sole purpose of defusing my brain enough to put me to sleep. And yes, I blame my parents here, not enough bedtime stories in my childhood I guess. This process requires a certain type of movies interesting enough to disengage my mind but not complex enough to challenge it. Interesting time burners you might say.
So yes, The Eye was my lullaby of the night, and don't get me wrong, it fits the profile quite well. The idea is interesting for me coz I did read an study earlier on behavioral changes of heart transplant patients. Jessica Alba is cute and relatable but unfortunately I doubt any academy awards in her career. I also liked that guy from Face/Off just for the nostalgia of his scenes with Nicolas Cage. Also the tension builds up quite decently so that's fun.
Nevertheless there's a tiny little detail that ruined my sleep routine: the flaws in the plot are obvious enough for me to start an hour and half of my favorite mind game: spot the plot hole.
I'm not a fan of spoiling things for others so I'll let you test your own score yourself but since this one is in the trailer I guess this one is ok was able to make my peace with the theory of the scenes projected to her brain from the special eye she got, but why oh why is she able to hear things?!
Anyway, don't do what I did, it's a simple movie that doesn't deserve too much scrutiny. Enjoy it holistically and keep the details out of your focus.
Nefarious (2023)
Almost a masterpiece
This movie was in my opinion just few inches away from being a true masterpiece. The story was almost an original true gem, the acting - specially by the lead - was flawless and the dialog was truly captivating
It's really an understatement putting this movie under the horror genre, this is a psychological thriller smartly written and executed. If you're in this for the scare or for some gore, don't waste your time, this is a very different type of entertainment
The setup and the events are really simple but the true joy here is the dialog and the dynamics between the lead characters and how the story unfolds. If you're one of 12 Angry Men's fans you'll find lots of resemblances in the brilliance of managing a low-budget movie while telling a story that delivers.
Why the "Almost"? To be honest I would have easily given that movie a straight 10 if it wasn't for the last 10 mins. I really don't wanna spoil the ending but I think the writer took the easy way out by bluntly revealing the truth of the situation while I would have loved it to continue and to end with that brilliant uncertainty that they portrayed beautifully throughout the movie.
I entered that movie not expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I really enjoyed it and I will definitely go check other work by that writer.
The Batman (2022)
Forgettable ... And that's a good thing
I watched that movie like a month or so ago, I'm really having a hard time remembering much about it, I can hardly remember any master scene, interesting plot twist or even an action scene tense enough to stick in your head. Aside from the Riddler I can't even remember the other villains' names!! I mean you can never forget fight club's reveal scene, Forrest Gump's runs & accent, all Heath Ledger's Joker scenes .. etc , u see where I'm getting here?
It's an uneventful movie, a time burner at best. Probably my main issue with it is that I think of Christopher Nolan's trilogy as the bar for any superhero movie there is while this one is attempting a heavy burden of running with Nolan's legacy in its fanbase's minds - yes, Ben Affleck didn't happen for me - and to be honest everything here pales into comparison. I liked how they tried hard to keep the Batman grounded to a realistic human view of the hero's abilities and resources and that's always a great thing for me personally, I get detached from the story otherwise but I think they overdid it to the exctent it de-glorified Batman, I mean aside from the worse casting, the slow story and the meh production, even the little details like the suit, his ugly shoe are noticeably bad!! And my God did they trash that batmobile!!
For me it's a good thing we won't remember much of it a few years later.
One Second (2021)
Plz accept my apology
Let me just start by stating that an apology is due here, first to myself, then to my family, my work and my poor IQ that suffered a shattering blow after this agonizing experience! Seriously, I read Mickey doodles that told better stories, far more entertaining than this one. An hour now after finishing that movie and I'm trying to reflect on the chain of events that led me to that screen! God!!
Dina was easy on the eyes, she's not a bad actress and I can understand the innate feeling of having to do this as careers sometimes offer limited options, on the other hand, Mr Bayoumy Fouad, Sawsan Badr!!! SERIOUSLY?!! These are your options now?!!
Those were 90mins I'll never get back :(