This movie offers three stories that are not linked except by having some of their events taking place at the same building: Yacoubian Building (Emarat Yaqubyan). The small hints in one story that may refer to another one are so insignificant that you can take them out of script without any damage to any of the stories. The main story is about the rich playboy (Adel Emam) who is turning old. The second story is about the devout merchant (Noor el-Sharif) and his quest for more. The last small story is about the homosexual newspaper editor and his quest for a lover. Having so disconnected stories in one building might be a symbol for the way Cairan society is: so many disconnected lives living in one big city. And this applies for all of Egypt too.
Unsurprising about Adel Emam's movies, this one is full of sexual scenes and is extremely anti-religious with uncompromising tone. Decency is not welcome here and is not encouraged. It is pro-'mutual consent sex' but anti-'sexual exploitation': something that Emam has always featured in his movies against the norms of the Muslim traditions of Egypt and the Arab World. When discussing religion, the movie gives the extreme cases of terrorists and opportunists. No moderate Islam (or Christianity) is introduced although Egyptian and Arab societies are mostly moderate and honest.
I'm not surprised by being disappointed. Egyptian movie-making should stop being so liberal and turn to the truth of Egyptian society. I'm not Egyptian, but I know that Egyptians are fed up with negative stereotypes that are introduced in their local movies. Egyptians should not be blamed for attacking this movie and all other movies that don't mirror the facts of Egyptian society.
The story is great, the movie-making is nice, but the messages are bad. I would recommend seeing this movie, but don't take it seriously. It is not the whole truth, and many events are untrue (like allowing extremist Friday prayer and sermon in a major mosque under the currently effective Egyptian martial laws). It is just drama and not true life, but full of symbolism and some true things.
Unsurprising about Adel Emam's movies, this one is full of sexual scenes and is extremely anti-religious with uncompromising tone. Decency is not welcome here and is not encouraged. It is pro-'mutual consent sex' but anti-'sexual exploitation': something that Emam has always featured in his movies against the norms of the Muslim traditions of Egypt and the Arab World. When discussing religion, the movie gives the extreme cases of terrorists and opportunists. No moderate Islam (or Christianity) is introduced although Egyptian and Arab societies are mostly moderate and honest.
I'm not surprised by being disappointed. Egyptian movie-making should stop being so liberal and turn to the truth of Egyptian society. I'm not Egyptian, but I know that Egyptians are fed up with negative stereotypes that are introduced in their local movies. Egyptians should not be blamed for attacking this movie and all other movies that don't mirror the facts of Egyptian society.
The story is great, the movie-making is nice, but the messages are bad. I would recommend seeing this movie, but don't take it seriously. It is not the whole truth, and many events are untrue (like allowing extremist Friday prayer and sermon in a major mosque under the currently effective Egyptian martial laws). It is just drama and not true life, but full of symbolism and some true things.