Omaret yakobean

This movie is no different from any other Oscar winning film. What I have witnessed is far beyond any Egyptian movie. This film has successfully captured all of the dysfunctional aspects of Egyptian society, squeezed taboos to the last drop, and left the audience laughing from the heart. I expected it to be good but not this good it's amazing go watch it, support decent movies for a change. 3 hours but couldn't keep my eyes off of it. I'm really hoping that this film wins an Oscar to show Egyptian film makers that hard work does pay off. Films like zay elhawa and elghawas should not be in theaters, unless products contain effort, the audience should not have to put up with it.

This excellent black drama is a must see despite its nearly three-hour running time, the movie is one of the most watchable and enjoyable pieces of art in Egyptian Cinema.

I didn't read the story before seeing that controversial movie, so I had low expectations. But despite that, got hooked as early as the quality intro that takes you smoothly through an enjoyable ride to discover the background behind that nostalgic building in central Cairo through a Sepia short clip.

The film is an artistic black drama which is full of cultural and political symbolism if you read carefully between the lines, my interpretation is that the building is a clear symbol of the country itself and how it transformed dramatically from the nostalgic early days of the 40s till the present day, shedding light on the price that the Egyptian society had to pay during that rough trip, and how the society has clear double standards that everyone is trying to ignore.

Every side story evolves in a different direction and involves controversial characters who are linked only by the same building (society) in someway or the other, the different stories are interweaves in an artistic way to dramatise different controversial issues and taboos from adultery, political corruption, homosexuality to Islamic fundamentalism.

The movie has a general sad feel around it especially for anyone who lived in Egypt as it touches on the deterioration and many negative issues that are becoming more and more the norm in most Egyptian society levels that was once a conservative and religious society. It is strong wakeup call to those who love their country to stop burying their heads in the sand when it comes to double standards that's affecting everyone in the society making everyone feel inferior to the country. The story will make you think deeply about how and why a country like Egypt could end up where it is today.

The cinematography, steady cams, crane camera movement is brilliant, the smooth cuts and soft transitions boosts the romantic dimension of the storyline. As expected, the music score by Khaled Hammad is expressive, romantic and adds a lot of depth to many scenes. The tempo of the movie is just right, giving enough time for actors to express their feelings through longer than usual shots that will never leave you bored. Action scenes are also very well done.

A must see piece of art for anyone who is living or used to live in Egypt.

I am still reeling from the dizzying marvel of the grand storytelling of this movie. No movie can be like a book. So I discount all who compare it to a book.

I cared so much for these people, their stories are topical yet universal. The anguishes, the struggles, the personal demons, stay with me...as reminders of the pain of all mankind.

"We are living in the age of deformity" said one of the characters... and so mankind still continues, forming, deforming, renewing itself. When will it end? These are the questions which this film asks of us all. But is the world deformed or - is it we who are deformed? While this movie will not answer such an unanswerable question out loud. We know the truth. But we seldomly face it...Some of us learn our lessons, some do not. But our pasts always come back to haunt us...

I know I've not said anything about the acting, nor the unmatched technical gifts of this movie...but they are what crown this magnificent achievement from the first delicate frame until it's bleak uncompromising ending...

The cinematography, editing, and music must be praised to the rooftops!

***** I recommend this movie to those who are not afraid to see the truth and see it told marvelously.

...

That's what I felt after watching that movie, it's really close to the society and the public's pulse, some overestimation is there but through comic frame, you'll enjoy watching that movie Marwan Hamed is not an ordinary director, he is one of the best around. i have never seen such a movie that tackles every issue in the Egyption society so honestly. it is a pure masterpiece and if i was running the Oscars then that movie will sure receive one. A movie so honest and directed, it is designed for all classes describing the social corruption in todays society - not only in Egypt but all around the world. if you miss this movie then you will spend your entire life regretting it so i advice every Arabic and non-Arabic speaker to watch the masterpiece and enjoy the art of this marvelous director whom i have a great respect for. two thumps up

January 2002. Alaa el Aswani's first novel, Omaret Yacoubian, is published. Within a few months, it has taken the Egyptian book world by Storm. And it's easy to know why. The book is almost exclusively about the 3 taboos in the Arab literature; Politics, Sex (Hetero and Homo), and Religion.

Fast forward to June 2006. Unless you've been living on another planet for the past 2 years or so, you must've heard of the movie adaptation of the book. Seriously, it was nearly impossible to escape the following headlines "Yacoubian is the biggest Egyptian film of all-time", "De Niro says the film is a masterpiece", "Yacoubian gets huge raves at Cannes", etc... In my opinion, that was one of the film's biggest problems; the filmmakers set the bar too high for themselves. So, I walked in expecting to see a breakthrough in film-making. What I got was a great, although flawed, film. So, I was somewhat disappointed.

I didn't like Wahid Hamed's adaptation of the book. The spirit of the novel is there, and the film is much more humorous, but unfortunately, that was it. Maybe because Hamed had to fit the script, so that the bigger stars get the bigger parts, all the secondary characters (Soaad, Dawlat, Malaak, etc...) ended up with almost no screen time. Therefore, these characters came off as 2 dimensional and their actions didn't make a lot of sense. For example, in the book, Soaad is almost a beggar. She constantly asks her friends and relatives for money. In the film, she's a middle class secretary. That's why I never understood why she would agree to be separated from her own son, and marry an older man just for some cash. Another example would be how someone came out of nowhere to kill off one of the main characters.

Director Marawan Hamed did a great job. Yacoubian is his first full-length feature, but he helmed it like a veteran. His camera moved smoothly, his cuts were all in the right places, and he shined in the large-scale (protest, training, and shootout) scenes. I'm really looking forward to his next picture.

Adel Emam (Zaki el Dessouky) was amazing. His turn (his best in ages) was funny yet heartfelt. Khaled Saleh (Kamal el Fouli) and Khaled el Sawy (Hatem Rashid) were also great. In fact, I think Mohamed Emam (Taha el Shazly) was the only cast member who gave a so-so performance. Anyway, he's still a newbie (this is his first film), so he'll probably give better performances in the future.

Yacoubian is one of the most expensive Egyptian films of all-time, and fortunately, the money is on the screen. The costumes, make-up and sets are all top-notch. Khaled Hammad's score was good, but I felt it was overly dramatic in some places (a full Orchsetra playing while 2 people are merely talking?)

So, I'd definitely recommend watching The Yacoubian Building. It's the best Egyptian film in quite some time, and with a better adaptation, it could have been a masterpiece.