? AT THE MOVIES-

The multiverse overkill may have room for one more: Superhero movies have been toying with multiverse plots for the past few years,but we’re surprised to say that The Flash (watch trailer: runtime 2:52) did it best, in contrast to its peers. The plot follows Barry Allen (played by Ezra Miller) discovering that he can run fast enough to travel back in time, and choosing to break the axiomatic time traveling rule: Don’t mess with the past. What follows is an exploration of the repercussions and a ton of fun.

The movie’s controversies precede its reputation, the bulk of it surrounding Miller, as the actor is wanted for committing federal crimes. Watching the movie, we understand why Miller wasn’t recast, as reshooting would’ve been an impossible feat, and the film had already had its fill of turbulence trying to keep a director on board — the role changed hands six times over production, according to the New York Times. Perhaps that explains the atrocious CGI.

The Flash is a solid watch. It is full of hilarious scenarios and impactful emotional moments that didn’t feel too contrived. Also, the “science” behind Barry’s ability to time travel was believable, given the topic. The main cast delivers great performances, the most striking comes from a perhaps underutilized Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El (or Supergirl, though she’s not called that in the movie). We can’t really mention other performances without spoiling some fun cameos, so just trust us when we say the whole cast did a good job.

WHERE TO WATCH- See The Flash at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, as well as Cairo Festival City Galaxy Cinema and Citystars Cinema.

Elemental is your typical Pixar movie: This visually stunning film follows the basic Pixar formula of an unlikely friendship mixed with the breaking of societal or familial expectations. Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis) is a second generation immigrant fire element grappling with taking over the family business in a city that doesn't particularly accommodate “her people”. So naturally, she was raised to believe that elements don’t mix. Enter Ember’s foil, Wade Ripple (voiced by Mamoudou Athie) — a privileged water element happy to go wherever life takes him. And so, Pixar’s signature unlikely friendship (though in this instance, not one that is entirely platonic) develops. You can watch the trailer here (watch trailer: runtime 2:19).

The animation in Elemental is spectacular. While the worldbuilding is a little too familiar (it wouldn’t be unfair to say that it was Zootopia revamped), the images it presents are breathtaking, making the elements interact with their environments and with each other in fun and inspired ways. This is also a Pixar staple — their imaginative visuals and fun worldbuilding is a good crutch for their recycled plots, making their latest offerings beautiful, but predictable.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can find Elemental across Cairo, in theaters like VOX Cinemas in City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, Cairo Festival City Galaxy Cinema, and Citystars Cinema.

? FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

Nothing says eerie and sinister like an engagement at a sanatorium-turned-hotel: The plot of Sanatoriumfollows Elin, a detective who has taken a break from her role but is quickly thrown back into it when she finds herself in the middle of a spiraling engagement party where people go missing. The party, thrown for her estranged brother Isaac and his fiancée Laure sees the latter go missing, before events snowball into stranger and more spine-chilling occurrences. The Gothic thriller takes us through the mystery of the sanatorium hotel, while simultaneously showcasing Elin’s attempts to come to terms with a tragedy that has strained her relationship with her brother. The result is an immersive, page-turning read that has all the elements of the beloved crime fiction genre.

WHERE TO BUY IT- You can purchase a copy from any Diwan branch, depending on availability, or add it to your online cart and select a branch from which to pick it up.

? HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Pastini — New Cairo’s Italian restaurant De Jeur — is a one-trick pony and that’s perfectly okay with us: Tucked away in the corner of the One Golden Square Mall plaza, the restaurant only serves main courses of pasta, and they excel at it. The bruschetta was delightfully light and crispy, accompanied by freshly chopped tomatoes. The buffalo mozzarella added a creamy touch to the dish.

The pappardelle al pomodoro was our favorite dish of the four we tried. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the tomato sauce was well-balanced, and the pasta-to-sauce ratio was perfect. The rigatoni al pesto genovese was another highlight, the server explaining that it would be served warm, not hot, because cooking pesto on high heat turns it bitter. We ended our meal with some delightfully airy tiramisu and even ordered another to take home.

A caveat: Seats are limited. Before racing to Pastini after you read our review, note that seating is limited – with only six tables indoors, each accommodating three guests. There is also outdoor seating available up a staircase outside the restaurant, offering three more tables.

? Per person: EGP 300-350

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes

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