‘Eagles of the Republic’ Review: Tarik Saleh’s Egypt-Set Thriller

As soon as once more navigating a labyrinth of corruption and dangerous habits inside up to date Egypt, writer-director Tarik Saleh delivers one other strong, thought-provoking thriller with Eagles of the Republic. Each entertaining and insightful, to not point out darkly humorous in its first half, the Swedish-Egyptian filmmaker follows up The Nile Hilton Incident and Cairo Conspiracy with a crime-ridden drama a few well-known actor who’s compelled to play President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in a biopic, then pays a excessive worth for his success.

Reteaming with star Fares Fares, who headlined the above-mentioned movies, Saleh completes what could possibly be thought of his Cairo trilogy, with every film tackling a hot-button social or political difficulty by way of well-crafted style storytelling. If Nile Hilton centered on medicine and police malfeasance and Conspiracy took on fraud on this planet of Muslim clerical colleges, Eagles highlights the soiled dealings between the federal government and the movie trade, exhibiting how fashionable artists are coopted — or reasonably coerced — into making works of propaganda in a rustic leaving them few different choices.

The opening reels, which each mock and have fun the lifetime of fictional Egyptian film star George El-Nabawi (Fares), are stuffed with extra comedy than suspense. However as Saleh’s script advances, and the actor sees the partitions closing in round him on all sides, the tone grows extra determined and the movie turns right into a straight-out thriller. At a time when motion pictures appear divided between industrial fare and works made strictly for the arthouse, Saleh occupies an intriguing center floor right here, directing a criminal offense story that retains us engaged whereas saying lots in regards to the world we dwell in — or a minimum of about Egypt proper now.

El-Nabawi, who’s recognized all through the land because the “Pharoah of the Display screen,” has headlined numerous blockbusters in his nation’s longstanding movie trade, embodying the type of success most Egyptians might solely dream of. However we instantly see that his life will not be all it’s cracked as much as be: His marriage has fallen aside and his teenage son, Ramy (Suhaib Nashwan), appears to resent him for being a negligent dad. His a lot youthful mistress, Donya (Lyna Khoudri from Papicha), appears to resent him as nicely, and it doesn’t assist that El-Nabawi has to exit in disguise to a pharmacy in an effort to purchase Viagra.

However these points are minor in comparison with what occurs when Dr. Mansour Rula (Amr Waked), an official working instantly for El-Sisi’s workplace, corners El-Nabawi into enjoying the present president in a brand new film celebrating the reigning chief’s army exploits earlier than his election in 2014. A lot enjoyable is initially made from the truth that El-Nabawi and El-Sisi look nothing alike — “He’s been bald since kindergarten!” the star clamors — however the actuality is that the actor has little selection within the matter, particularly when the lifetime of his son is threatened.

El-Nabawi quickly ropes in a success director to helm the mission, however on the primary day of capturing it’s clear that none of them can have any say in a mission overseen by Rula, who sits behind a monitor and feedback on every scene as regards to the way it portrays the president.

Censorship guidelines over the trade and corruption over the remainder of society. When El-Nabawi will not be on set, he attends numerous galas and dinners on the town, getting cozy with different highly effective higher-ups, together with the minister of protection (Tamim Heikal). Sadly, the actor additionally will get cozy with the minister’s outspoken girlfriend (Cherien Dabis), placing himself at much more threat when the 2 start having an affair.

Saleh juggles these twin narrative strands — the troubled film shoot and El-Nabawi’s harried private life — with relative ease, even when there are moments when the plot feels a tad convoluted. However the whole lot comes collectively in a decidedly darker third act that brings the actor face-to-face with the precise president. All of the sudden, actuality takes over and what felt like a tacky film (the one being shot, that’s) has dire penalties for all concerned.

It is sensible that Saleh doesn’t dwell in Egypt, as a result of it’s laborious to think about anybody residing there who might make a movie that so outwardly criticizes the present regime, whether or not it’s the numerous corrupt officers or the strategies of coercion utilized by a authorities that claims to be a democracy however feels extra like a army dictatorship. The closing reels are particularly grim in that sense, highlighted by a memorable scene, set in a helicopter, wherein El-Nabawi witnesses simply how ruthless El-Sisi’s individuals will be.

Fares — who, just like the director, is half-Swedish (the opposite half is Lebanese) — embodies the film star completely, channeling the actor’s egomania but additionally his want to dwell freely in a rustic that provides little freedom, even for individuals as wealthy and famend as El-Nabawi. “You performed your position completely,” somebody mockingly tells him towards the tip, as he realizes success means nothing when everyone seems to be a puppet to energy in a method or one other.

Eagles of the Republic — whose title appears like one among El-Nabawi’s many box-office hits — gives a intelligent lesson in how reality will be scarier than fiction, particularly in a spot the place motion pictures function each fashionable leisure and weapons for the lads (they’re all males) in cost. Like his earlier movies, together with his underrated Chris Pine effort, The Contractor, Saleh as soon as once more proves himself able to delivering a strong style flick with a darkish message beneath all of the motion. He might not dwell in Egypt, however he channels the nation’s thrills and terrors as if he had been a star there himself.