Last night I watched an Egyptian movie, something I have not done in a very long time. I guess this is what you do when you are bored out of your skull in Doha. The movie of choice was Sahar al Layalai (Sleepless Nights) and I have to confess that I was surprisingly impressed.
What made this flick unique is that it tackled some taboo issues that are always kept hush-hush in this part of the world. One of those taboos was sexual relations between married couples.
The movie, which focused mostly on marital conflicts, was really well-made and the acting was also quite good. I have to admit, this movie was probably one of the best Egyptian movies that I have seen in a while. I also loved the relationship between the male friends in this movie. It just felt so real and very Arab-like! If you are in the mood for watching an Egyptian movie (which is of course an acquired taste), then this film is an excellent choice. Go for it!
I agree 😉 (Listening to Moon Dance right now…)
I would also suggest David Gray, Van Morrison, and Dave Mathews;-)
It is a negative portrayal of terrorists (redundant). I don’t worry about people hating extremists, I worry about uneducated Americans (red voters) stereotyping against the whole Arab population.
But F* all political/religious mumbo jumbo, its good entertainment at the end of long Mondays.
Speaking of just relaxing, a friend of mine had an epiphany in a haze of bong smoke and proclaimed to have solved the Arab Israeli conflict. His Plan? Intall megaphones all over the West Bank and Israel and play Miles Davis nonstop.
Yeah I heard about the controversy surrounding season four of 24. I read somewhere that Muslim organizations in the US are worried that the new season will portray a negative stereotype of Muslims in the US as it talks about the issue of Islamic militancy inside America.
Ooh Sorry, just noticed 24 on the sidebar … Season 4 is getting insane .. won’t spoil ..
I’ve been preaching the merits of this movie for a while. No one listens to Malhas though.
Iyas, my promise is inherently arab in its delivery timing. I’ll dig through my VCDs again, Basel (My Jordanian friend in Tucson) promised to have a burnt copy on my doorstep last week, but to no avail. Will continue hunting.
Natasha, your review is dead on, what struck me most is how true the friendship btwn the guys is. I’ve had very similar trips to Nadim’s (Vanuatu Guy) house in Aqaba. I felt all warm and fuzzy watching them singing “Sahar Il Layali,” considering we got kicked out of the lobby of the Holiday Inn in Aqaba (I guess it’s Radisson SAS now), after one of my friends started playing “7anna Il Sikran” on the piano in the lobby and 7 drunk guys were singing along.
Going to listen to some Fairouz now…
Isam, This should be interesting. Looking forward to reading your review. I’m thinking of watching Yousef Shahin’s latest movie about 9/11. It’s called “Alexandria, New York”. It is playing here in Doha. It should be fun.
Indeed, I think that it was the best Egyptian movie I saw in 2004. To add to what you had already said about the movie, I think that it was successful in talking about sensitive issues such as sex between married couples, without being so blunt and revealing in terms of hot and sexual scenes.
I plan today to see the first Egyptian movie in Cinema since Sahal Al-Layali .. “الباحثات عن الحرية” (Looking for freedom) .. I heard it might be a disapointment, but I will report on that in my blog once I see it 🙂