“Is it our mistake or is something wrong with this country? Youssef (played by Sherif Mounir) asked his friend in a moment of despair.
This line that comes halfway through “Qass We Lazq (Cut and Paste) carries the essence of the film, currently playing in local movie theaters.
Although the conversation was grim, reflecting on the dead ends the characters keep confronting, the film itself wasn’t so depressing. It was the perfect balance between a lighthearted drama and a grim look at the problems of Egyptian society.
Gamila (Hanan Turk) is a 30-year-old convinced that immigration is her salvation. Youssef doesn’t have a clue what he wants. As their paths cross in an unorthodox relationship, their problems intertwine but they manage to remain hopeful.
Other characters in the film had their own set of problems, whether unemployment, housing or relationships. Again, somehow they manage to keep a smile on their faces.
Youssef called it “asceticism. His friend Samy (played by Fathy Abdel Wahab) called it “adaptation.
Regardless of the terminology, both of them, in addition to the rest of the characters, share the same the destiny: nothing is finished or seems to reach a satisfactory ending. If they are about to close a sale whose revenues could solve a minor problem, for one reason or another it fails. They compensate by starting another project or a relationship or even get involved in an unrelated issue.
It’s a vicious circle of a cut-and-paste process, as film director and scriptwriter Hala Khalil said after the film premier.
Khalil managed to prove in her sophomore film that she is a fine filmmaker – her 2004 debut “Ahla El Awkat (The Best of Times) was a critically acclaimed masterpiece.
This time, in her first shot at as long feature scriptwriter, she also confirmed her talent.
The script was witty – with the exception of one scene where the dialogue was preachy that she fortunately cut short – the plot flowed easily without any holes and the character development was logical, three elements that are usually absent in local productions.
Yet, as the film was almost flawless, it was unfortunately plain. There is no gripping feature. Even the actors’ performances were plain – flawless but not outstanding. Hanan Moutawee easily managed to steel the show with a three-scene part that examined the struggle between morality and the unbearable pressures of real life.
In general the film makes an impact, but it’s difficult to single out a specific appeal in the plot. Khalil manages to highlight sensitive issues – like sexual frustration – without being controversial. But at the same, like other issues in the film, this one doesn’t stand out.
The reason for this is probably the cut-and-paste theme. At one point the film seems to be about immigration, but it isn’t. At another it seems to be about relationships, but it isn’t.
What it really offers is a glimpse of what it is like to live in Cairo nowadays. It’s grim but people manage to survive without too much drama.
