Oh dear, the Cairo tourist board won't be happy.
The Egyptian capital has been much in the news over the last year because of the demonstrations in Tahrir Square which culminated with the unseating of a government.
Thus, the image we Westerners had of exotic souks, peaceful people smoking pipes and taking camels to see the Pyramids had been long doused.
But just in case we had been lacking enough reality, a harsh dose is presented in Hesham Issawi's movie.
Cairo Exit presents the life of the have-nots in the Egyptian capital through the story of two lovers, their family and friends.
Amal (Maryan) lives in an apartment with her mother, sister, nephew and step-father in a rundown district.
Live isn't smooth in the sense that her job in a takeaway's kitchen is highly stressful while her sister keeps disappearing, her nephew is secretly begging on the streets and her step-father is looting the home's valuables when he isn't stealing or conning other people.
Meanwhile, her best friend (Sana Mouziane) is desperately trying to find a husband to get away from her life and is willing to pay to make that happen.
The only sanity in her life is her boyfriend Tarek (Mohamed Ramadan) who is transfixed on the idea of leaving Egypt.
This backdrop and how Amal reconciles herself is interesting but doesn't resonate as much as the scenes of deprivation in Cairo.
Basically, it looks the opposite of its holiday brochure image. It is chaotic, rubbish strewn and dangerous - with robberies and violence apparently as much a way of life as mistreatment of workers.
Cairo Exit builds up a sense of hopelessness which at least helps us understand why its people would want to flee to countries like ours, whatever the risks.
And in that sense, the film works. However, it does jerk around a lot and the acting isn't always entirely convincing.
However, it did enrich me by unveiling a side of Egypt I had never seen before and gave me a greater understanding of why its citizens have been so keen to see change.
Laughs: none
Jumps: one
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 6/10
0 Comments