Cairo Conspiracy 2022 Movie Review Trailer Cast Crew

Tarik Saleh put his hand on a timeless aspect of Egyptian politics: the interplay of power between political leaders (the military) and religious figures (Al Azhar). This delicate subject had never been addressed before. Which is ironically why this movie fails.

The reason Egyptian cinema (or “Hollywood-sur-Nil” as some used to call it in its glamor days) hasn't addressed this issue is simple: censorship. Egyptian filmmakers and actors would not be allowed to talk about this taboo. In fact, this film will not be shown in Egyptian theaters.

Director: Tarik Saleh
Writer: Tarik Saleh
Stars: Tawfeek Barhom, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri

The direct consequence is that only foreign filmmakers can make a film that deals with this sensitive subject. And this is where things go wrong.

The film understandably fails to capture any Egyptian essence. The dialogues are unnatural. The characters and attitudes are artificial. Add to this the fact that the cast is virtually free of Egyptians (for the reasons outlined above). Therefore, they are unable to soften the dialogues into something that feels more natural.

Although Tarik Saleh is of Egyptian descent, it is obvious from this film that his relationship with Egypt is unfortunately too tenuous to make a film that delves so deeply into Egyptian social, political and religious realities.

However, I am aware that my problem with this film will only be shared by the Egyptian public. So, insofar as Tarik Saleh sees Boy from Heaven as a movie about Egypt by foreign filmmakers for foreign viewers, he would give it some slack.

Still, the movie is riddled with spy clichés. Whatever you can think of, you will find it in Boy from Heaven. Egyptian classical music is played in unexpected places. Scene transitions are often abrupt, indicating editing issues.

More than once, the film felt like your average film school student's graduation project.

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