Room to Rent

for the first time a movie that talk about Arabians and Egyptians specifically without making them barbaric nor ignorant. Although (Taghmaoui) is not Egyptian but his perfomnance was magnificent. The same with (Juliette lewis) who made (Marelin Monro) scenes with all her senses. (Khaled El-Hagar) is unbelievely talented in making every scene so every body could feel the movie as if it is his story even if he didnt pass with the same setiuations. The script by (El-hagar) & (Amanda Stewart) was gorgeous because it made the movie very near and close to and thus entertaining for arabians, & very new for non-Arabians by making them exploding new horizons. Other thing was choosing the using ancient Egyptian myths at the end of the film although non realstic. Generally magnificent. Thumbs up.

This movie could in some ways qualify to be a farce, though it's not quite Monty Python. The story is about a hapless writer/student/waiter from Egypt trying desperately to stay in England, and all of the schemes he gets into to try to stay. The situations he gets into are unbelievable (that's why I think this movie should be considered a farce), but always entertaining.

BTW, if you liked this movie you might also like the film, The Guru. The Guru however is not quite as likeable as this film.

Very British film comedy-romance-drama about immigrants trying to 'make it' in Britian. In the same way that 'My Beautiful Launderette' was hard to categorise as straight romance or straight comedy, so is this, but perhaps it lacks the political bite of the earlier film. However it does feature a likeable lead performance and a plot with enough inertia to keep thickening.

The rather linear and limited appearance of Juliette Lewis is a bit of a mystery. I would suggest she was placed in the film, in the same way that 'Four Weddings And a Funeral' wanted an American actress in order to boost box-office. The trouble is: Juliette Lewis has spoken at length about her enjoyment of the script and how seriously she took the role. Yet her role seems very slight and a little bit of a blind alley. If the Mariyln Monroe impersonator looked and sounded little like Marilyn off-stage (perhaps with a Birmingham, England accent) it would have made more sense and the lead character's love of her would have made his character even more sweetly innocent and endearing.

The last half hour of the film seems to have come from an entirely different script, more fantastical and yet more serious at the same time. Perhaps this is the influence of the literary genre, magical-realism but regardless, it does make for a film that goes somewhere you weren't expecting and how often can you say that about a film?

The adage is "write what you know" and so Al-Haggar writes about an Egyptian screenwriter who lived in London. However, he allows his imagination to take Room to Rent in a different bizarre direction to his life story.

Unfortunately his imagination isn't always teamed with logic. I didn't believe any of the story contrivances and the last twist is simply impossible - even if you accept re-incarnation really happens.

And yet strangely I was swept along and never annoyed. This is due to the believable characters, good dialogue and a valiant attempt to avoid cliché.

This isn't at first glance a formula film but Al-Haggar hits all the right structural points at the right times ensuring excellent pacing.

While the plotting is never convincing it is however always entertaining.

This film is a good hearted comedy that meets the most important of my criteria for an enjoyable film. You really like the characters and you enjoy spending time with them.

Ali is an Egyptian living in London who has come to the end of his student visa and wants to remain.

His struggle for a means to do that, and the characters we meet along the way provide good light hearted fare in this thoroughly enjoyable, and different film.

I particularly enjoyed Ali's relationship with Mark, the gay photographer. It was refreshing to see a friendship between a gay man and a straightman where one wasn't lusting after the other or vice versa. It was actually a bit funny to see Ali's reactions when he noticed Mark "noticing" other young men. Not so much jealousy as mutual recognition of mens' enjoyment of the "thrill of the hunt".

Also the scene where Mark's father mistakes Ali for Mark's lover, rather than just his room-mate, was sweet and touching. Having Mark's father call his son a good man and asking Ali to take care of him is a nice counterbalance to the furious fathers that we usually see.

Overall a truly enjoyable little movie.