The sun s up, humidity s is filling the air and Egypt is soon to turn into a large, fuming furnace. Yes ladies and gentlemen, summer s finally blooming, vacations are starting and young men and women are waiting in anticipation for the ultimate, and only, source of entertainment to relieve the effect of blistering heat. While cultural centers are shutting their doors, musical performers are moving to the seaside and commercial theatres seducing the hordes of Arabs occupying the capital, Movie theatres are opening their doors wide open in preparation for the most lucrative film season of the year.
With about 18 films to be screened within the next two months, this season, just like the past two ones, is overcrowded with big-budgeted films all vying to earn the biggest share of a forecasted combined gross that might exceed the all-time high of LE 180 million of 2005.
Each week will see from two to three movies released all through the country. Because of this overabundance, the number of prints designated for the majority of these films will be reduced to average from 35 to 40 per film. Major blockbusters though, such as Morgan Ahmed Morgan starring Adel Imam and Karkar starring Mohamed Saad, are an exception to the rule with reports claiming that 100 prints have been readied for each.
The overall result of having so many major commercial productions released in 8 weeks might lead to an overall larger market haul but, nevertheless, will reduce the individual shares of every one of those films that will suffer from shorter runs than ever before.
Unlike last year, when social dramas such as Yacoubian Building, Wahed Men El Nas (One of the People) and Awkat Faragh (Leisure Time) dominated the box office alongside the atypical lucrative lighter fares; this summer s offerings are less diverse as the majority of the crop is composed of comedies and action flicks.
Only three films crack this mould: Hala Khalil s award winning sophomore effort Kas we Lazk (Cut and Paste); the relationship drama Elakat Khasa (Special Relationships) that features a bunch of young, unknown actors and the thriller 45 Days starring Ahmed El Feshawy.
Already given the thumbs up by The Daily Star Egypt when it was screened last December in the Cairo Film Festival, Cut and Paste is the story of two strangers (Hanan Turk and Sherif Mounir) who decide to get married in order to be able to immigrate to New Zealand.
Special Relations, on the other hand, has been surrounded by a bad buzz that materialized with the several walkouts during its premiere last Wednesday. The film is another failed endeavor to emulate the success of last year s surprise teen drama Leisure Time revolving around three couples in dysfunctional relationships.
45 Days is Ahmed El Feshawy s first film since 2005 s flop Hasa El Sabaa (The Seventh Sense). El Feshaway plays the role of a young, rich man who murders his parents for no palpable reasons. Hesham Selim is the psychiatrist who tries to unveil the mystery.
“Agamista, the action drama starring Khaled Abol Naga and Sherif Ramzy, will finally be released after facing numerous finance problems that shut down the production several times. The film centers on the bond that forms between a filmmaker with a hidden past (Abol Naga) and a young, misguided hoodlum (Ramzy).
After his recent smashing success with “The Hostage, Heartthrob Ahmed Ezz delivers “El Shabah (The Ghost), the last major summer release.
A couple of high-profiled romantic dramas will also battle it out this summer. Ahmed El Sakka fans will be closely watching his second effort as a serious actor in “Taymour we Shafika, the Tamer Habib (Shar El Layali) scripted film co-starring Mona Zaki that tells the customary story of two lovers forced to part after their families reject their union. Hany Salam returns to his atypical romance turf with “El-Awela Fel-Gharam (First Lesson in Love) with Menna Shalaby.
The big showdown this summer though is between the aforementioned mega stars Adel Imam and Mohammed Saad. Imam will continue his successful streak that started with “El Tagroba El Denmarkeya (The Danish Experiment) in 2003. Good News are reported to have splashed LE 27 million on “Morgan, the story of a self-made businessman who goes back to college. The film also stars Mervat Amin.
After the underwhelming outcome of last year’s ‘katkout, Saad will be hoping to penetrate the LE 20 million zone with his new comedy co-starring Yasmine Abdel Aziz.
Former box-office king Mohamed Henedi will try to recapture his past glories with the Rotana produced Andaleeb El Dokki (Dokki Nightingale) about an aspiring singer who moves to the gulf with his twin brothers in search for a career.
After the considerable success of last year’s political comedy Zaza, Hani Ramzi has decided to step in the pure comedy territory with “Zabet We Arba’ Kotat (An officer and Four Cats) that sees the famous Lebanese female-group the four cats make their film debut in a story about a police officer assigned to protect the girls while hunting down a murderer targeting them.
“Omar and Salma marks the return of singer Tamer Hosni from prison after he tried to ditch the military service. His new Sobky-produced film is a guy gets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl back romantic comedy starring May Ezzel Din.
Other medium-sized comedies scheduled to be released are “Sabaho Kedb (Morning Lie) starting Ahmed Adam about a blind musician getting his big break in weddings; the Mostafa kamr fronted “Esabet Dr Omar (Dr Omar’s Mob) about a idiosyncratic psychiatrist who gets involved with his patients; and “Ahlam El Fata El Taesh (Dreams of a Misguided Chap) swith Ramez Galal in his first major starring role.
Overall, there is nothing special to look forward to this summer. “Agamista is the sole production that looks promising; the rest are expected to turn out to be a rehash of the same themes and ideas Egyptian films are still failing to break from.
