TWO ZANY COMEDY SCENES in ONE with COMEDY ACTOR: AHMED HELMY [b. 1969] and ACTRESS: YASEMIN ABDULAZIZ [b.1980] recreating a COMMON CAIRO SCENE of STREET TRADERS being ROUNDED UP by the POLICE. The DIALOGUE is TYPICAL 'AMMAYA' or 'DIALECT ARABIC' with its LOUD and MELODRAMATIC ARTICULATIONS of SOFT INSULTS meant to AMUSE and EXPRESS FRUSTRATION plus IMPLY INDIRECT POLITICAL SOCIETY IN-JOKES, but not to HURT the OTHER PERSON. The BEHAVIOUR is TYPICAL EGYPT WORKING CLASS with its EXAGGERATION, HINTS of ORIENTALISM and HEAVY CAMP LOCOMOTION! Eventually, HELMY is SAVED by his 'CHARM' from the POLICE through the LOUD SWAGGERING overbearing ABDULAZIZ character....That suddenly MELTS to REVEAL a SWEET SHY YOUNG GIRL as her HIJAB CATCHES on something and is MOMENTARILY PULLED OFF in a MOMENT of SLOW MOTION GLOSSY TRESSES...LOVE STRIKES BOTH of the CHARACTERS...
2004 'SAYE'A BAHR' or 'BEACH BUM' FILM is a REMARKABLE, MAGICAL, COLOURFUL and CHARMING and HILARIOUS LOCAL COMEDY showing POOR LIFE in CAIRO. 'SAYE'A BAHR' is one of those films one can WATCH AGAIN an AGAIN and never TIRE of its MAGIC or STOP LAUGHING at its JOKES or HAVE a TEAR in the EYE at the SADNESS but also the GRIT that the POOR have in EGYPT and ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AHMED HELMY came to FAME in the HYSTERICAL COMEDY of the Late comic actor ALAA WALEY EL DIN [1963-2003] comedy 'ABOOD ALA AL HADOOD', or 'ABOOD NEAR THE BORDER' [1999]. HELMY has gone on to GREAT SUCCESSES of CINEMA. He has a PARTICULAR FLAIR for COMEDY, both OVERT and more CLEVERLY, SUBTLE. AHMED HELMY is an UNLIKEY SUPER STAR of ARABIC CINEMA but he is! HELMY is MARRIED to DRAMATIC CINEMA ACTRESS: MONA ZAKI who shares the same birthday with him.
YASEMIN ABDULAZIZ is STUNNINGLY FUNNY and CHARMING in 'SAYE'A BAHR'. It is the character NEMA who is so ROUGH and LOUD and AGGRESSIVE but with such a CUTE, SHY LITTLE GIRL that HIDES BEHIND the SHARP-TONGUED ACT that ALLOWS her to WORK alongside a MARKET of MEN TRADERS and AWKWARD SHOP CUSTOMERS of EVERY DESCRIPTION.
The SCENE has some CRACKING and quite CONTROVERSIAL LINES like:
"You cover your hair and bare your tongue!"
"Now continue your prayer outside!"
"It would have been better if you had been ugly with a pretty tongue!"
The ACTORS SPARK OFF EACH OTHER WELL and MAKE for a REALISTIC TASTE of CAIRO WORKING CLASS LIVE but with just a bit of EGYPTIAN CINEMA 'MAGIC' that takes the EDGE off the SADNESS and MAKES the AUDIENCE ROAR with LAUGHTER...Not really at the COMEDY, but the REFERENCE of PEOPLE in CAIRO STREETS who BEHAVE and BARK and SHRIEK at EACH OTHER as the TWO CHARACTERS EVERYDAY!
The FILM, like a lot of EGYPTIAN FILMS before the CURRENT CINEMA CENSORSHIP of the SISI REGIME were CREATIVE and INDIRECTLY POLITICAL through COMEDY and ENCOURAGING types of EGYPTIANS BEHAVING BADLY to IMPROVE THEMSELVES.
'SAYE'A BAHR' has one very BEAUTIFUL and TOUCHING SCENE where NEMA goes to a COPTIC CHRISTIAN FRIEND'S WEDDING. She sits in the CHURCH in her HIJAB and is ENTHRALLED by her CHRISTIAN FRIENDS and the BEAUTIFUL COPTIC HYMNS and WEDDING CEREMONY. HELMY, not to be OUTDONE, BRINGS his ARABIC BAND ALONG and when the PARTY LEAVE the CHURCH, a MUSLIM WEDDING BAND PLAYS, LEAD by AHMED HELMY wishing the NEWLY WEDS all the luck! It is a WONDERFUL SCENE of a UNIFIED EGYPT.
