An art director on a B-movie, unhappy with its low standards, finds herself imagining that she is the central character in the film, living a different life...
Not a wholly novel premise (although it does - eventually - end up somewhere unexpected), and at least 20 minutes too long. In its favour, the director's decision to shoot in unflashy monochrome gives it a pleasingly old-fashioned feel, and the cast is excellent - especially Horeya Farghaly, who is the focus of every scene. The burden of making the film feel believable falls on her, and she bears it well.
The film is also a bit of a love letter to the golden age of Egyptian cinema, with numerous old films playing in the background. I am entirely ignorant of Egyptian cinema, but I imagine anyone with an interest in it would find plenty to enjoy in this.
The ending contains quite a neat trick, particularly if you're watching at a festival, as I did...
Not a wholly novel premise (although it does - eventually - end up somewhere unexpected), and at least 20 minutes too long. In its favour, the director's decision to shoot in unflashy monochrome gives it a pleasingly old-fashioned feel, and the cast is excellent - especially Horeya Farghaly, who is the focus of every scene. The burden of making the film feel believable falls on her, and she bears it well.
The film is also a bit of a love letter to the golden age of Egyptian cinema, with numerous old films playing in the background. I am entirely ignorant of Egyptian cinema, but I imagine anyone with an interest in it would find plenty to enjoy in this.
The ending contains quite a neat trick, particularly if you're watching at a festival, as I did...