Ukraine, Egypt explore preferential trade deal: Zelenskyy    Egypt, Russia's Rosatom review grid readiness for El-Dabaa nuclear plant    Mastercard Unveils AI-Powered Card Fraud Prevention Service in EEMEA Region, Starting from Egypt    Global tour for Korean 'K-Comics' launches in Cairo with 'Hellbound' exhibition    China's factory output expands in June '25    Egyptian pound climbs against dollar at Wednesday's close    New accords on trade, security strengthen Egypt-Oman Relations    Egypt launches public-private partnership to curb c-sections, improve maternal, child health    Gaza under Israeli siege as death toll mounts, famine looms    EMRA, Elsewedy sign partnership to explore, develop phosphate reserves in Sebaiya    Philip Morris Misr announces new price list effective 1 July    Egypt Post discusses enhanced cooperation with Ivorian counterpart    Egypt's Environment Minister calls for stronger action on desertification, climate resilience in Africa    Egypt in diplomatic push for Gaza truce, Iran-Israel de-escalation    Egypt teams up with private sector to boost university rankings    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger    Egypt, Tunisia discuss boosting healthcare cooperation        Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Grand Egyptian Museum opening delayed to Q4    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Egypt discovers three New Kingdom tombs in Luxor's Dra' Abu El-Naga    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Al Kenz II: Egyptian cinema's sequel mania but not in the usual sense
Published in Ahram Online on 22 - 08 - 2019

This Eid season families who celebrate by going to the movies had five choices, three of which are sequels – an unprecedented phenomenon pointing perhaps to greater commercialisation. One was Khayal Maata (Scarecrow) starring Ahmed Helmy in his silver-screen comeback and written by Abdel-Rehim Kamal (also the author of Al-Kenz) who, together with Helmy, was accused of plagiarism by screenwriter Nehal Samaha, who declared she had discussed the premise with Helmy's wife actress Mona Zaki.
Other offerings included a sequel to Welad Rizk (Sons of Rizk) starring Ahmed Al-Fishawi, Ahmed Ezz and Amr Youssef, written by Salah Al-Geheini and directed by Tarek Al-Eryan, the new Ahmad Al-Sobki production Enta Habibi wi Bas (You're My Only Love), a comedy starring Safinaz and singer Al-Leithi and directed by Ahmed Al-Badri, director Marwan Hamed's The Blue Elephant II (actually released before the Eid and previously reviewed here) and Al-Kenz II.
Al-Kenz II: Al-Hob wal Massir (The Treasure II: Love and Destiny) is the second part of director Sherif Arafa's 2017 collaboration with screenwriter Abdel-Rehim Kamal Al-Kenz: Al-Haqiqa wal Khayal (The Treasure: The Truth and Fantasy), produced by Walid Sabri.
It brings together three intertwined tales that deliver the same message over and over even though they are set in different eras: the story of Queen Hatshepsut (Hind Sabri), the second confirmed female Pharaoh who fought for her crown after the death of her husband Thutmose II, balancing religion and politics as she schemes to reach the top and even giving up her love for Senenmut (Hani Adel) to preserve her power until the crown goes to Thutmose III (Ahmed Malek); the story of the Robin Hood-like figure Ali Al-Zebaa (Mohamed Ramadan) and his gang, who fights the unjust Ottoman official Al-Kalbi (Abbas Abul-Hassan), once again evidencing a corrupt connection between religion and politics, even though he is in love with his daughter Nafissa (Rouby); and the story of Bishr Pasha Al-Katatny himself, who witnesses the events of the 1952 revolution as an adult and loses his beloved Neemat (Amina Khalil) when she marries his brother Mustafa (Haitham Ahmed Zaki).
The treasure of the title, which Hassan eventually finds, turns out to be the tomb built by Senenmut for himself and Hatshepsut.
This is not a sequel in the usual sense, however, since Al-Kenz is effectively one long film chopped down the middle, with the second film simply continuing the events of the first, which ended abruptly and unjustifiably for the viewer.
In both the ideas are in-your-face, the dialogue cliched and unconvincing with inopportune jokes ruining the scenes between Sabri and Adel especially. Nor are costume and décor very sound, with the makeup – in the case of Ahmed Rizk as Hassan's old guide, for example – being particularly unsuccessful.
Acting was very uneven, with a confusing cameo by Sawsan Badr at the start, inappropriately theatrical delivery by Abdel-Aziz Makhyoun as the Pharaonic Sage Ini and excellent work by comedian Mohamed Saad, who proves he is able to transcend his traditional stock characters, such as Al-Lemby.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 22 August 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Sequel mania
For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture


Clic here to read the story from its source.