An Egypt Affair

Saw this at a local Film Festival in the LA area. It was quite a surprise, the film is head and shoulders above the rest of the indie fare out there these days, most of which is exploitative and seems like one silly horror film after another.

This one had a real plot, actual scripting, and above all, a Lead Actress that I couldn't take my eyes off of, no matter what else was going on in the shot. She is one of the most beautiful and charismatic women that I have ever seen in any film, and the fact that it was in a low-budget project says a lot for the Director and Producers of the film. If there's any justice in the world, this woman is going to be a Bond Girl for the next sequel coming down the pike.

The entire film takes place on a boat in the Nile River, which is another great asset to the production -- it makes me wonder why more people aren't taking advantage of these kinds of tours, where you get right down to experiencing the actual local people and locations, and exploring the temples and statues of Egypt up close -- more than just the Sphinx and Pyramids.

Kudos to the Director who seems to know how to make the most out of a budget and takes us on an amazing journey to a completely unknown culture, and an experience unlike any others on the screen. It compares very favorably to the other big release which it will inevitably be compared to, Death on the Nile, with its expensive cast, but this little scrappy project packs a lot into a very well-executed package.

What an unusual find! I saw this at the LA festival and was so glad I had an opportunity to experience it. This movie was actually filmed in Egypt and is very authentic. It brought me back to my travels there with the beautiful scenery and music. I could practically smell the spices and food in the market scenes! The plot has enough twists and complexity to be good on its own. The characters are believable and acting quality is better than I expect from an indie film. The scenery was an unexpected treat and video quality was much higher than most indie films. If you want to experience Egypt without your passport, this is a film to see.

What a excellent film. The great photography and location by it self was worthy of awards, but the story and acting was top notch also. One of the best Indy movies I've seen in a long time.

I highly recommend the movie to anyone who likes travel, friendship and betrayal.

The lead actress., Yolanthe Cabau did a fantastic job in her role. Her acting, looks and dancing were spot on for a temptress.

Massimiliano "Massi" Furlan, who I have seen in other movies, never seems to fail in his roles. Once again, he turned in a convincing performance. You can't help but not trust his character as Darius.

The story is about 2 couples who are friends with each other on a trip to Egypt and what ensues there. Another couple joins the trip surprisingly and then there are affairs among these. The plot could have been better. The screenplay is a bit weak. Sometimes the scenes are stitched in a strange way. Most of the acting is weak too except the Egyptian woman itself who somehow reminds me of Sofia Vergara. The chemistry between two other couples is minimal and they fight over petty things. In the end they just wrap up quickly by revealing all the mysteries at once without any drama or anything and it saves the day for the protagonist. It might be watchable if you want to but definitely not worth the 9 or 10 stars given here.

I came across this movie at a film festival in Los Angeles. It's an indie movie and I wasn't sure what to expect. I found it an excellent combination of photography, acting, story and location. It has a film noir flavor with the characters facing questions about friendship, love and betrayal. I highly recommend the movie to people that are tired of the usual Hollywood big-movie offerings. I read that it was recently filmed entirely in Egypt, and the authentic feeling of being on the Nile, with the story taking place at the amazing ancient temples, in the desert, in the market streets -- all had a powerful impact on my enjoyment of this movie. It's a better movie than last year's "Death on the Nile" - which wasn't even filmed in Egypt!