Al Ma' wal Khodra wal Wajh al Hassan

A film in the true tradition of the best of Egyptian cinema landmark works; ones that belong to the likes of Youssef Chahine, Salah Abou Saif, and Radwan El Kashef .. to name only a few. Nasrrullah is fully in charge of his tools never letting go of his grip despite the apparent chaos in the atmosphere(s) of the film story, (which is intended to reflect the over whelming chaos in contemporary Egyptian life), the tale telling is given precedence although through a highly exceptional cinematic language of breathtaking pace. The stellar ensemble of actors deliver an effortlessly nuanced performance, yet again in service of highlighting the over all effect of the film. The synopsis in IMDB is somewhat misleading... This is NOT a film about a family preparing for a wedding. It is a "slice of life" type of film focusing on Egyptian current daily life struggles within the context of a specific social community, with realistic, adventurous, magical, and overall, hopeful undertones. Watch this film to experience an example of the truly beautiful Art of Egyptian film making in one of its recent examples. 8/10 stars.