Ardh el-Khof

A great movie. A blockbuster of all time. This film was nominated to the Academy Awards (Oscar), but it didn't make it to the shortlist because the raw film was UNFORTUNATELY so poor.

However, Daoud Abdulsayed is a great director and he keeps on astonishing me every time he gives us a masterpiece. In this movie, which is a superb work on philosophy, Abdulsayed reviews the story of humanity as it was told in the three main religions in a simple yet admirable way, benefiting from the great performance of the great Ahmed Zaki.

The movie is full of symbolism, from using Adam as a code name for the undercover agent Yehia El Manqabadi, to Moses (the senior officer receiving his letters, then meeting him in the mosque). Also, you'll note Adam eating the Apple, while listening to his commander's orders regarding his mission, and the abstract that Yehia must die to give all the others the chance to live, with all its intersection with the tale of Jesus.

You'll never solve all the symbols in this movie, but you'll enjoy it, whether you like brain teasing or you just want to see an action movie.

This is a MUST-SEE film.

An exquisite work of art by the director. Ahmad Zaki was magnificent as usual. Although the movie is set on drug dealing background, it has a very complex psychology in it. The movie discusses deep involvement in fake life matters and the fact that people may believe the lies they had created and doubt their own true life. The movie shows how confused a person could get when he starts to doubt who he is, and how desperate one can get to find himself an identity even if this identity didn't match his real personality. This movie must be watched!!

Land of Fear, where Yehia (Ahmed Zaki) went into after eating his own apple and agreeing to do such a mission. To forget his past life of being one of the best police officers and becoming inserted in drug dealers world completely as one of them, after being fired from the ministry of interior by fabricating a bribery case against him. An unusual mission aiming to understanding this vague world completely from a loyal agent inserted among that world starting from the bottom up to the very top of drug dealers, reporting every detail of his lifelong mission.

The movie takes your attention from the first scene of it thanks to its interesting plot together with the excellent acting of Ahmed Zaki, Abd El-Rahman Abou-Zahra, Ezzat Abou-Aouf and Hamdy Gheith. The movie theme and soundtrack were brilliantly used although there was some technical defect that could be felt in few parts.

I liked the projections that were used in the movie like the nickname of Yehia that he used in his letters (Adam) symbolizing eating the apple of sin, and giving the name (Mousa) to Abd El-Rahman Abou- Zahra who kept insisting that he was just a prophet who just carried the messages.

It is a great movie and I recommend it for all my friends. You won't regret watching it.

I have seen many Egyptian movie, and this one by far is my favorite. The directing is great, the acting and imagery are amazing.

My favorite part is the part where Yehia visits his future wife, who is an architect, in her office. I really liked how the office was decorated, and how she was playing Edith Piaf music in the background.

Another part I liked is the part where he visits some big drug dealer in Old Cairo. The dealer's house has a unique architecture that dates from more than 100 years ago! It's just amazing..

If you haven't seen the movie,

you've missed a lot!

Land of Fear is definitely one of the greatest movies ever to be made in the history of Egyptian cinema. Everything starting with acting, directing, dialogue... the whole nine yards; however, I couldn't help realizing after 30 minutes of the film that it's an Egyptian remake of Donnie Brasco which is, somehow, an insult to both Hollywood and the Egyptian cinema for not mentioning that that piece of art that everyone thought was great... isn't actually original. I still think that it's a not-to-be-missed kind of film especially for those who hate slow paced plot less films. I'd have given it a 9, but for bad faith... I'm downgrading it to 7.