Reviews

5 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
Yom said (1940)
First movie for Faten Hamama as "Shirley Temple of Egyptian Cinema"
20 September 2005
It was 1938 when Mohamed Karim (Pioneer of Egyptian Cinema) started to consider working in this movie with famous musician Mohamed Abdelwahab. He introduced Faten Hamama in this movie and started to increase her role after he noticed her talent. He felt that this girl would be something in this industry.

Her nickname after this movie was "Shirley Temple of Egyptian Cinema". Except that she continued to act and still acting until today, and she became the most famous actress in the history of Egyptian Cinema.

When we see this movie today after 65 years of it's original production, we could only remember Mohamed Abdelwahab and Faten Hamama. We don't recall who was the lead actress in the movie.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Which is more powerful, Love or Revenge?
4 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
For over an hour and half of enjoyment watching this magnificent story and special movie you will ask your self this question, which is more powerful?

Amna (played by the Legendary Faten Hamama) is a young sister that watches the death of her older sister by her Uncle, the guy that abandoned her family and left them with no support. She hears from her mother that her sister was killed because she dishonors the family and based on their culture, she deserve to die. Amna doesn't think so; she believes that her uncle was the one to blame for what they are suffering from. She switches her focus and revenge to the engineer who fooled her sister and lied to her (role played by Ahmed Mazhar) and was a direct cause for her death. Amna moves to his house to work as maid and tried to poison him many times, but her plans always fails. She discovers after a while that she can't kill, she doesn't have the power to kill. This engineer keep playing with her try to have fun, but she kept resist him. The more she resisted, the more he was attracted to her and finally he loved her. The poor girl thought that by making him falling in love with her would destroy his life. What she didn't count for was her heart started to click signals for that guy. Her plan was to dig a hole for him and through him in it, but she fell in the hole with him.

She faced him with the truth, and who she is. She decided to leave him and get away from him. She knows that her plan was failed and she needs to get away. It was about time for her uncle (the guy who killed her sister) to find where she is and was after her death to keep his family pride and honor shinning!!!!!!!!!!!

In her way out of the house, she sees him and she knows that he has bad intention, but the engineer sees him too, and takes the bullet in his back to protect her and save her life.

It's a sad ending that you will never forget.

There are no enough words to describe how this picture is great. A story by Taha Hussein (the Dean of the Arabic Literature), Faten Hamama (The lady of the Arabic Screen), Ahmed Mazhar, Amina Rizk, Zahrat El-Olla and running this show by someone like Henry Barakat is something deserves great appreciation after watching it.
14 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Sleepless (1957)
7 famous stars in a unique masterpiece
22 June 2005
A masterpiece: directed by the great Salah Abu Seif, written by the Controversial Ehsan Abdel Quoddous, based on his famous novel "sleepless". The story is if full of romance, seduction and revenge. The movie was reproduced recently to be available on DVD's.

The movie introduces 7 famous stars in the Egyptian Cinema led by Faten Hamama and Omar Sharif (after three years of their marriage).

This is a unique movie in Faten Hamama's career where she played the teenager who wants to control the life of her father and destroy his marriage, in an effort to keep her life as it used to be.

Great performance by Faten, Omar and Rushdi Abaza.
8 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
El haram (1965)
El-Haram as presented in Cannes festival
16 June 2005
El-Haram, known in English as "The Sin" 1965. The movie describe the life of a poor women that loses her son, family and her life due to a brutal rap from a guard, but the society can't allow her to have a normal life after that, which after her death become one of the symbol of her village. The movie that was chosen as one of the five best movies ever made in Egypt.

It was nominated in Cannes festival and was welcomed during the presentation by all critics and the audience. In 1965, the newspaper "Le Monde" wrote, we have attracted to this movie due to the true picture that reflects the suffering of this village, the picture is not about a problem for one individual, it's about the reflection of everything surround her, from people to culture. It was magnificent piece of work that we have not seen previously from Egyptian movies presented in this festival. Critic George Sadol in another newspaper emphasized same comment.

In Egypt, some Egyptian critics believe it is the most important film in Egyptian cinema. It 's one special movie you should see for Faten Hamama and director Henry Barakat.
4 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
The power of Fatma or the power of Faten Hamama???
15 June 2005
Lailat Elkabd Ala Fatma,or "The Night of Fatma's Arrest" 1984 This movie created many considerations from some politicians after its release in the eighties, due to the way presented one of the heroes of the 1952 "Egyptian revolution against occupation". The story is between a sister (Fatma) that raised her brother and helped him to become a war hero, but his fame and glory turned him down against his family and his people. He is now running for the congress and can't let his sister stop him. So, he enters her fiancé (Shoukry Sarhan) into Jail and plots few trials to kill his sister.

The movie was a big box office hit and welcomed by critics. I don't know if this due to the power of Fatma in the movie or the power of Faten Hamama!! Faten deserved her award for the Lebanese Merit golden prize in her role in this movie.

This movie was last one between Director Henry Barakat and Faten Hamama (known as Lady of The Arabic Screen); they have participated in more than fifteen movies, since mid Forties until mid Eighties. Barakat used to mention that his favorite actress is Faten that he feels he can do and present his best with her. This movie was an excellent piece of work from both of them.
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed