The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Our prayers have been answered; El Sakka in a comedy, with nary an
explosion or firearm in sight. Too bad this movie’s mediocre at best, though.

El Sakka stars as Hazem, a highly successful gynaecologist specialized in
IVF. He meets Fareeda (Dorra), an interior designer, at their mutual friends’
wedding. Hazem and Fareeda fall in love and they soon get married which is when
their troubles begin. Fareeda, feeling rather lonely due to Hazem’s insane work
schedule, starts pining for a baby to occupy her time. Months of trying with no
change in the state of Fareeda’s uterus put a huge strain on their marriage;
one that’s compounded when Fareeda asks to be impregnated via IVF, an idea that
Hazem takes as an affront to his manhood.

There’s really not much to say about the film; it’s not good, it’s not
awful, it’s just there. It won’t have you laughing your head off, no matter how
much the filmmakers may want you to, but you might chuckle a few times. Even
the novelty of seeing El Sakka in a non-action role doesn’t carry through,
since his mannerisms are just as Sakka-ish as ever. The fact that he’s not a
police officer or taking down bad guys, though, does make his shtick a lot
easier to digest. His co-star, Dorra, is stuck in the kind of wife role
reserved for up and coming actresses, i.e. sickly sweet, cute and staunchly
inoffensive. She’s fine and the role doesn’t require anything more from her.
Either way she’s far better than Saba who has a small role as Hazem’s
ex-girlfriend, and who is basically a stereotypical Lebanese sexpot (Is there
like a law decreeing that there can’t be any other type of Lebanese women in
Egyptian media?).

While the film’s message is something straight out of a Hallmark card
and revolves around how kids are adorable little creatures who light up their
parents’ lives and give them meaning, the film’s humour revolves almost
entirely around sex; something we’re sure will come as an unwelcome shock to
many families expecting a cute, child friendly comedy about babies. There are
numerous scenes of guys struggling to fill sample bottles with semen, their
wives trying, and failing, to help them with an array of lingerie. While these
scenes are funny the first few times, the fact that they’re repeated so often
and are so predictable makes them get old pretty quickly.

While Eid movies are generally hit and miss, this one’s just not worth
seeing. Save your money and go see the similarly heavy-on-the-sex-jokes Ghesh El Zawgeyya instead. At least
that way you’re guaranteed a laugh – kind of.