Back to Egyptian movies?

For a really long time I had given up hope for the Egyptian cinema. The last time I watched an Egyptian movie was about one and a half year ago. When I was in Egypt the last time, which was two years ago, I though that the movies I have been watching there on the TV or in the cinema were seriously so bad, that it made me really sad. And I was not being dramatic in this, because... Can you imagine that I grew up with the Egyptian and other Arab actors as my hero's? I loved Arabic movies en series so much! No... I adored them. So much, that the only thing I watched on TV was Arabic TV, although I lived in Holland. And imagine this little girl only grew up to find out that the one thing she adored has had an evolution that turned out in an really negative way... that hurts.

So two days ago, my father wanted to watch an Egyptian movie. My whole family knew about the pain I've suffered for the loss of quality of the Egyptian cinema. So my father had to follow me the whole day while nagging at my mind until I agreed to pick an Egyptian movie to download.

So I chose a movie. And this was not a really old movie (2012) so I thought that might actually be good, you know. I mean... Egypt must also have undergo some new innovations in this last year, and the actors who played in this movie kinda have a high profile...  So I started the movie with no high hopes, because I didn't want to get hurt again. That's just not cool.

So here is what happened. I had to force myself into completing this movie, which is never a good sign of course. And it wasn't because it was late and I was tired and wanted to go to bed. This movie made me tired. I mean, yeah, it was late, but come on! A good movie should wake and shake you up! That's why you're supposed to watch movies late! Because movies are supposed to be good! And I'd rather not tell you the title of this movie because this movie was so incredibly bad... I am not gonna use any more words than I already did for the last two days to explore how bad this movie was, but if I told you which movie it is, you all might go and watch this movie to see for yourself and then more people would lose hope in the Egyptian cinema, and more people will think that Egyptian are idiots and... and... and... 

So let's skip that part and go to the fun part.

So the day after (like yesterday) I decided to watch another Egyptian movie. This decision was purely made because I just needed proof that not all of the Egyptian movies these days were such as bad as the movie of the night before. So I chose safely. I only looked into the movies of Ahmed Ezz (and hoped that he had made new movies, because I was... am a great fan of him and I was afraid that I had already watched all of the movies he had acted in) and found to my delight that there were a couple of new movies I haven't watch before, and which of the trailer was really appealing to me.

But after the movie of the day before I was really careful with my feelings. I started this movie with no hopes at all and oh boy... I'm so glad I did.

And its obviously clear that I have no problems at all in sharing the title of this new love (if I'm allowed to put it that way). I chose the comedy حلم عزيز - Helm Aziz. For the people who don't understand Arabic, it says ''The dream of Aziz''. But this title has a double meaning, because Aziz is not only an Arabic name, it also means pleasant or enjoyable. So it can also be read and understood as ''A pleasant dream''. 

Helm Aziz was a great comedy with a beautiful moral. It was about how a person would and should act if he came to know how much time he had left. Would you do everything you want without regrets and finish your bucket list? Or would you turn to Allah, ask Him for forgiveness and mercy, and ask forgiveness from the people you've hurt in this life and do good? 

Ahmed Ezz playes the role of Aziz, a rich business man with a really high profile. He owns a factory and lives in a big and beautiful manor with his stunning wife and little son. Behind her back he goes out with a hundred of other girls and does everything that God has forbidden in this life. You get a pretty good vision of him now, don't you?

Until one night, his father came to visit him in his dream. His father turned out to be in paradise and wants to help his son to get into this place before it's to late. At first, Aziz doesn't take any of this seriously and just waves it away as a nightmare. Again... Until, one of his friends dies and it turned out that he had been dreaming of his father, also visiting him in his dreams to help him get into paradise before it's to late (The fathers in these dreams tried to get their sons to get them finish a staircase which led to giant big doors to a beautiful place, as they spoke of). So Aziz starts to worry about his death and his last days. In the beginning he only worries about the fact that he's going to die and that his life would be over. But when his father keeps visiting him and tells him about the reckoning he shall pay for, if he doesn't get the people to forgive him for all the bad thing he has done to them to get higher and better, and he gets some kinda confirmation from an imam for the fact that he would die soon, - only because he understood him wrong, - he starts to be really religious and kind. He does his best to find the people he has hurt and visits them to ask for forgiveness and gave them whatever they need.

Really a movie worth your time.

Egyptians are good in comedies anyway. Even though I had lost hope for that, I hope they are still good in comedies, because this movie isn't that old (while the other cursed one came out in 2012). So we have two possibilities here. Or the Egyptian cinema is getting her quality back again (little by little), or it's because of Ahmed Ezz. Yeah, because honestly, not one movie I have already seen from Ahmed Ezz has made me feel disappointed (like: I have just wasted two precious hours of my life...).

You can find the full movie on YouTube in great quality. 

Here's the trailer:

And here's the full movie.

There is another movie of Ahmed Ezz which apparently did won an Oscar. Also a pretty new movie. But this one is not a comedy but more an action/mystery movie. I am really curious, and yes... I dare to have some hope for this one. Ahmed Ezz can never be wrong. That's my conclusion. Stay tuned! I will tell you guys how the other movie is!

Toodles!

Do you want to know what I rated for this movie? Go check the Movies Page!