CAIRO: A plotline following the entangled lives of two or more couples seems to be the in story for any Egyptian romance, comedy or drama. Kalam Fel Hob (Talk about Love) is no different, except for the entangled part; the film lacks the required depth to make the term entangled applicable.
Following two waitresses, played by Youssra and Hanan Turk, the film lightly explores the two women s view of relationships. In parallel scenes, Hesham Selim and Amr Waked play two prospective lovers awaiting the inevitable crossing of paths.
As the trailer indicates, Kalam Fel Hob is a light comedy, nothing more. Unfortunately, even though the star-studded cast promised a more refined feel-good-movie, the film fails to deliver, due either to its unrealistic approach or relatively weak script. The previous collaboration between scriptwriter Zeinab Aziz and director Aly Edris that produced last summer’s Harim Karim (Karim’s Harem) should have been a warning that their second film would be of the same standard, but the colorful star-studded poster diverted attention from their names.
One surprising aspect of the film is that Youssra and Turk, two big names in the local industry, are the film’s main box office attraction; it s usually the male star that decides the financial prospects of the film with the support of less famous actresses.
That doesn t mean that Selim and Waked are lesser talents or that their participation lowered viewers expectations regarding the quality of the film. On the contrary, if it weren t for the combination of the four actors, Kalam Fel Hob wouldn t have raised such high expectations of fine filmmaking.
The film doesn t stoop to El Limby-type comedy, but it is nowhere close to Sahar El Layali (Sleepless Nights) either. Both were box office hits and landmarks of modern Egyptian cinema history: El Limby acquired popularity with a minimum of art and an abundance of cheesy jokes and slapstick comedy while Sahar El Layali set a standard for excellent scriptwriting and directing.
The jokes and the comic scenes are not cheesy, with the exceptions of a few, but they are not witty either. The film occasionally tries to acquire some depth but stops a few steps short of getting to the core of the problems it loosely addresses – the lead characters dependence on relationships.
The stars performance made the film look more sophisticated than it was, especially Selim, who was a pleasant addition to the cast. But there is little an actor can do without a strong script.
While the script tries to present itself as sophisticated as the actors performing it, it largely depends on worn out clichés without innovation: the woman who resorts to alcohol as an escape from her personal problems with a drunk and the miserable prospects and financial obstacles facing young couples.
Unfortunately, the only addition the film offered to the genre was largely overlooked. The contrast between the mature Youssra and Selim on one hand and the young Turk and Waked on the other could have easily added much-needed depth.
Of course, the concurrent drawbacks of most of the local productions prevail: less-than-mediocre attention to details combined with an unrealistic approach to the characters lives.
For starters, Youssra and Turk play two waitresses, but are depicted to have the spending habits of marketing executives. Between the two, they have a wardrobe and a collection of expensive accessories any woman would kill for.
Even though the promise of fine filmmaking was shattered, the promise of laughter fortunately survived. The film s strongest message was that the lower the expectations, the better the viewing experience.
