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New in Cairo Cinemas: What to Expect from this Week’s Film Releases

New in Cairo Cinemas: What to Expect from this Week’s Film Releases
written by
Cairo 360

Seasons change, people grow older and Egypt gets hotter. But one constant we’ve come to rely on in the capital is that every Wednesday, cinemas across the city unload the world of film’s latest. This week’s shipment of new movies brings with it some intriguing plots and plenty of big names, starting with a star-studded period drama that could be one of the surprise hits of the year.

The Beguiled

What’s it About? Based on a 1971 novel of the same name, The Beguiled tells a story of betrayal, backstabbing and jealousy; after finding an injured civil war soldier at their doorstep, the teachers and students at an all-female boarding school seem more than willing to help, before their competiveness gets the better of them.

Why it Might Be Good: Sofia Coppola is unfairly hated in some circles, but when the script is right, she can be an awfully good filmmaker. In this film, she has plenty of talent at her disposal, including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell, in what is something of a mysterious slow-burner of a drama that also benefits from its American civil war setting.

Why it Might Be Bad: The jury is still out on Coppola; The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation were great, but then Marie Antoinette and The Bling Ring were pretty, well, garbage. The whole slow-burning approach is risky, too; unless there’s a satisfying pay-off, it’ll have all been for nothing.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

What’s it About? Ryan Reynolds plays a bodyguard who’s tasked with protecting a hitman – played by Samuel L. Jackson – as he waits a trial at the International Court of Justice in which he is to testify.

Why It Might Be Good: The set-up is there for this to be an action-packed ride – and then there’s the always entertaining Sam Jackson. Throw in Ryan Reynolds, who does the buddy-movie thing better than most, as well as Salma Hayek, Richard E. Grant and Gary Oldman, and you have a potentially explosive – and funny – flick.

Why it Might Be Bad: The problem here is Reynolds; as popular as he is, his shtick is always usually the same, which raises a question: Deadpool aside, when was the last time you saw him in a role that he really took a hold of and made his own? Exactly.

The Man with the Iron Heart

What’s it About? This French-made biographical war thriller takes you to 1942 and focuses on Operation Anthropoid, in which Britain and Czechoslovakia collaborated for the assassination of Nazi leader, Reinhard Heydrich – the man widely credited as the architect of the Holocaust.

Why it Might Be Good: This is now Hollywood-style war film – which is a good thing. European filmmakers approach these kinds of topics with much more subtlety and much less jingoism. This bodes well to the depiction of one of the most notable figures of the Nazi regime – one that lends itself well to the screen.

Why it Might Be Bad: On the superficial side, there are few familiar names attached, save for Rosamund Pike and Mia Wasikowska. The man who takes on the role of Heydrich, Jason Clarke, is a recognisable and seasoned actor, but few would have considered him as a lead. On a very different note, a 2016 film, Anthropoid, tells the same story but from a different perspective and many are saying it’s better.

And so there you have it. To find out where and when you can catch these films in the capital, check out the Cairo 360 Cinema Guide.

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