📽 AT THE MOVIES-

The Hunger Games (trailer, runtime: 2:45) prequel left us, quite frankly, hungry for more. Adapted from Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel of the same title,the movie focuses on the villain origin story of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and how the dystopian city of Capitol established its dominance over the Districts to create the Hunger Games.

The storyline of the film is 64 years prior to the events of the original Hunger Games,where Coriolanus Snow is seen as a pious young man trying to make ends meet for his grandmother and cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer). This comes after the district rebellion war on the Capitol left them penniless and orphaned, only to be dragged into mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), from District 12, in the tenth annual Hunger Games in the hopes of winning the grand money prize and restoring his family name.

…but all of the fame and power comes at a price: At this point, the Hunger Games has lost its viewership and in an attempt to save lives and stop the atrocities Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) tries to end it by threatening Snow.

The deranged Doctor Gaul (Viola Davis) enlists Snow to find new ways to bring in viewers and torture the tributes by ensuring his prize money while trying to keep Baird alive and loved by the public.

The film lacks the extravagance of the other movies and focuses on the indecisiveness of humanity and power. It may leave viewers with unanswered questions if they haven’t read the book, and disappointment if you have. Also, compressing the book into almost three hours made the storyline feel a bit rushed.

Even though the point of the film is to empathize with Snow, it confirmed what we already knew, which was the underlying hatred and fear of districts for the war — but can we blame him after everything that he’s been through?

International reviews dispute on whether the film was a success or failure: Some news outletspraised the Hunger Games (Vox, Variety) and some reviewers, like The New York Times still compare Lucy Gray to Katniss, while others call out the franchise for not including Katniss (even though it’s set six decades before she came to volunteer), or say that it’s riding the pre-villain story trend like Cruella, Joker, and Maleficent.

WHERE TO WATCH-You can catch the film in Vox Cinemas and Stars Cinema.

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

The House of the Coptic Woman: A Novelby Ashraf El Ashmawi and translated from Arabic to English by Peter Daniel. El Ashmawi is a judge in the court of appeals and the author of novels like The Lady of Zamalek and The Barman, where he draws upon his experience as inspiration for his books.

It starts in the Egyptian sa’eed/countryside, beginning with Nader, a young prosecutor whose new post in a rural Egyptian village introduces him to a whirlwind of events.

Not all is peaceful in the countryside: From tragic deaths and suicides to unexplained cases of arson, where homes and agricultural lands are burned to the ground, the young, naïve protagonist is baffled when he cannot seem to answer the endless stream of questions that arise from his surroundings.

Then there is Hoda: A Coptic woman with a tragic past that somewhat captures the persistent and enduring nature of sectarian strife in Upper Egypt.

Entertaining and informative…but we needed more: While the book is an interesting read, it does not seem to add a whole lot of nuance to someone who is already familiar with the nature of Egyptian society in the southern governorates.

We have read this before, and it was better: With books like Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Diary of aCountry Prosecutor — which receives an explicit nod at the beginning of the novel being a cult classic — it seems that the author is trying to compare himself with a legend, and unfortunately, falls short.

WHERE TO FIND IT- The new novel can be found in Arabic across most Egyptian bookstores and in English at AUC Bookstores.

🍴 HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Nüwa is a pan-Asian restaurant with a variety of cuisines but does not lose focus. If you’re anything like us, you’re wary of restaurants that promise too many cuisines. We prefer ones that specialize in just one, but Nüwa makes a great case for a diverse menu.

BEFORE THE MAIN ACT-If you want a tasty bite to ease you in, the crab summer rolls are a good gateway.Even though the servers told us that they are the most returned item, we suggest that you check it out, especially if you have an experienced palate.

The appetizer may be a new mouthfeel for some, as the rice paper is gelatinous, and the glass noodles inside are chewy. The taste of the crab and the crunch of the cucumbers and carrots add an extra (and familiar) dimension to the texture, and the accompanying lime sauce makes for a fresh and tasty bite.

MAIN COURSES ARE ON POINT- The kung pao chicken is a great alternative if you’re a fan of sweet and sour chicken. While the latter dish is available, we recommend that you switch it up. It’s lighter than the sweet and sour as the chicken isn’t fried, but it offers similar flavors to the ones we know and love, though it is less tangy.

NOODLES ARE A HIT- The shiitake udon will hit the spot. The noodles are cooked expertly, and the shiitake mushrooms have soaked up all that delicious sauce.

VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY- There are a number of curries and stews, but we loved the crunch and flavor of the vegetables delight, where the bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and broccoli are coated in rich oyster sauce. You could tell that they were cooked and served right away, too, as they weren’t limp from being on the stove for too long.

NOTE- The peking duck was acceptable, but not as fresh. The flavors were as expected, but both the duck and the pancakes were a bit dry.

MATCHA CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR THE MATCHA-HATERS- While matcha lovers may feel like the dessert could use an extra helping of the green tea powder, anyone who dislikes the grassy taste will love it being complemented by the chocolate and tempered with the vanilla ice cream on the side.

💵 Per person: EGP 500

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly:Yes

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