? A con man turned hero: In Darwish, written by Wissam Sabri (who penned the 2022 film Shekko) and directed by Walid El Halafawi (director of Wesh x Wesh), audiences are transported to the 1940s, a time when Egypt remained under British occupation. We’re introduced to a young man whose life is turned upside down by a stroke of luck, making him a folk hero beloved by the public.

The plot: Darwish (Amr Youssef) is a con man and manipulator who plots a heist with his showgirl girlfriend Zebayda (Dina El Sherbiny), and his two friends, Adly (Moustafa Ghareeb) and Rushdy (Ahmed Abdel Wahab). The crew successfully steal a priceless jewel from an Indian maharajah. They soon, however, fall out as suspicion and betrayal begin to brew within their dynamic, and Darwish finds himself pursued by the police.

Just another con man. Fleeing from the police, Darwish seeks refuge in the midst of a protest. There, he finds himself inadvertently involved in the killing of a British colonel after the actual killer (Hisham Maged) makes a run for it. Darwish is arrested, and finds himself hailed as a hero and has his name chanted by the crowds. Newspapers cover his “heroic” deeds, while Darwish tries to explain to the police that he had nothing to do with the murder, citing the fact that he’s just another lowly con man. It doesn’t work, and he soon finds himself handed a death sentence, but a commando organization comes to his rescue, altering the course of his life.

It’s an intriguing plot — and an enjoyable one. We were particularly impressed with how the filmmakers tackled a character like Darwish, veering from traditional storylines. At the end of the day, this is a young man isolated from the sociopolitics shaping his country. He doesn’t care about the occupation, only his own interests. Naturally, it wouldn’t be logical for a character like that to suddenly become a hero and activist, which the filmmakers promptly avoided, resulting in a character that felt real.

That said, some other character arcs felt incomplete. We expected stars such as Hisham Maged to have a more prominent role in the film, yet didn’t. And while it’s easy to spot a few plot holes here and there, the movie was generally enjoyable thanks to its well-paced events and commendable cinematography. All in all, it’s a pleasant watch that explores a particular period of Egyptian history in a way that blends reality with fictional comedy.

WHERE TO WATCH: You can catch Darwish at Vox Cinemas in City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Alexandria. The film is also screening at City Stars Cinema, CFCM and District 5’s Scene Cinemas, Cima Arkan, and P90 Cinema. Catch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 1:50).

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