AT THE MOVIES-

📽 An unexpected death brings the Shanab family together. This film is director Ayten Amin’s third work after Villa 69 and Souad. It was an attempt by Amin to break out of the dark dramatic pattern in films, but was it successful?

Other than the WhatsApp group that brings them together, the Alexandrian Shanab family lives scattered between their hometown and Cairo. The family consists of four sisters: Nelly (Laila Elwi), Nabila (Sawsan Badr), Noha (Lebleba), and Nada (Hedy Karam), and two younger brothers, Sherif (Ali El Tayeb) and the eldest, Hussein (Bayoumi Fouad) — who is beloved by his siblings and their children. When Hussein dies of a heart attack, the siblings and their children all gather at the family villa in Alexandria, where Laila (Asmaa Galal) clashes with her mother for controlling her, constantly criticizing her, and refusing to let her complete her studies in Japan. Events and paradoxes follow one another between the older generation of parents and the younger generation of children.

The movie gathered many industry stars, but underutilized them. The story is fragmented, due to the lack of a clear background about the family's life, and because we don’t get the chance to see each member outside of a family setting. The film has also been criticized for its weak dialogue, and having filler scenes that could have been dropped without harming the plot.

We liked the cinematography and the warm atmosphere in the movie. Khaled Hamad's poetic music also added greater depth to it — which would come as no surprise. However, we’d advise against having great expectations for the film, it’s a light family watch.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can catch the movie at VOX cinemas City Centre Almaza or Mall of Egypt or Alexandria, City Stars Cinema, Point 90, Zamalek Cinema, Cairo Festival City, and Cima Arkan. Watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime, 0:55).

FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

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