Enjoyably natural even if it doesn't play out quite as cleverly as it thinks it does

For the most part this is a charmingly frank film that mostly gets by on how very simple it is. A young couple have a discussion at a table in a café in Cairo. They have been together two years but for Mai there are frustrations bottling up and the divorce of her sister and an interaction with some foreigners on a train has brought the subject of sex to the front of her mind – a subject that Alaa is not particularly comfortable discussing in a public place.

That the film is essentially a dialogue scene for 10 minutes means that the challenge is to hold the attention of the viewer and for me this worked really well. The long takes help put you in the scene but also means the actors have to work in longer sections rather than in edited segments. This approach sets the film up for a very natural interaction if the two actors can pull it off. Fortunately they can and both Abozeed and Ezzat are very natural with one another, nervous of those around, taken aback with one another but yet still intimate as a couple. In this regard the film works very well.

For the most part the subject matter works too – mainly because it is a natural discussion, even if it is culturally taboo. The problem comes when the film plays out because the point was not to break all cultural taboos with an act but rather for Mai to test Alaa's dedication to her by asking so much and seeing if he is willing to try to please her. I guess within the context of the culture this makes sense as this would be a big ask (even before the silly detail she asks for) but to me it didn't work because by using sex as the ask it never struck me that she was testing him since offering him sex would not seem like much of a sacrifice for him. It does still work because of the script direction and the nature of the discussion allows to see the desire of the next generation to not be restrained by tradition but at the same time still have the desire to observe it, but by having sex be the central device, it does rather risk the meaning being lost.

That said it was still a very enjoyable little short film thanks to the topic and how naturally it was presented; only the conclusion not being as clever as it thinks it is was a problem for me.

Arabic-language cinema spans many regions, with Egypt pioneering popular musicals and melodramas, while Lebanon, Palestine, and North Africa use film as a medium for political expression and memory. Collectively, it expresses Arab identity onscreen and has influenced storytelling across the Middle East.

Ahmed Marei and Shafik Nour El Din in The Mummy (1969)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

In a regular cafe in Cairo a relationship goes through its first big test.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra in Photograph (2019)

Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Dockery, Freya Mavor, and Billy Howle in The Sense of an Ending (2017)

Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur in The Lunchbox (2013)

Jane Fonda and Robert Redford in Our Souls at Night (2017)

Shawn Christensen and Fatima Ptacek in Curfew (2012)

Café Regular, Cairo

Photos

Top Cast2

User reviews3

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed