TWO ROUGH and READY FAKE 'BRIDES' posing as FAKE 'COUSINS'. ONE SUPPOSED to BE JAPANESE, 'OSHEEN', and the other ONE, 'REDA', is NOT EVEN A WOMAN! They COMPETE to become WIFE of the TEMPORARILY INSANE 'KA…
TWO ROUGH and READY FAKE 'BRIDES' posing as FAKE 'COUSINS'. ONE SUPPOSED to BE JAPANESE, 'OSHEEN', and the other ONE, 'REDA', is NOT EVEN A WOMAN! They COMPETE to become WIFE of the TEMPORARILY INSANE 'KARKAR' who has LOST HIS MIND being ELECTROCUTED so his MANSIONS and MILLIONS INHERITED from his UNCLE are UP FOR GRABS by the most 'BEAUTIFUL' BRIDE-TO-BE...In this OUTRAGEOUS SURREAL SCENE the two 'GALS' have to SHARE a BEDROOM in the KARKAR MANSION...
ARABIC FILM of 2007: 'KARKAR' ['EXPLOSIVE LAUGHTER'] was the CINEMATIC CLIMAX of ACTOR MOHAMMAD SA'AD'S brutally INSULTING and SOCIALLY ACTIVATING 'SHA'ABI' SATIRES of MIDDLE EASTERN SOCIETY beginning in 2002 with 'AL LIMBY'. 'KARKAR' EXPRESSED the PSYCHIATRIC MANIA of DISCONTENT of THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE in this FORCED COMEDY SHA'ABI CIRCUS at a time when there was NOTHING to LAUGH at in EGYPT LIFE. 'KARKAR' was the CATALYST TOUCH PAPER for the COUNTDOWN of EGYPTS 'ARAB SPRING' that BROUGHT DOWN the MUBARAK GOVERNMENT. USHERING IN a few FLEETING MONTHS of ACTUAL DEMOCRACY for the EGYPTIAN PEOPLE, be it under a FAILING and INCREASINGLY CHAOTIC 'MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD' GOVERNMENT.
The FILM is SHA'ABI. Sha'ab being 'the people' and Sha'abi being a kind of music and film culture aimed at the lower classes that poses as innocent comedy but hides political messages on society behind the mask of laughter.
SHA'ABI CINEMA and MUSIC are generally LOATHED by the ASPIRING CLASSES as it is a kind of REMINDER of RURAL ROOTS and a lot of FAKE LIFE of the MIDDLE CLASSES in the MIDDLE EAST. The REVIEW for 'KARKAR' is very UNBALANCED in ENGLISH by an EGYPTIAN. However there is a LACK of COMPREHENSION by the WRITER about the SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS of a film like 'KARKAR'. Only the DEEP CLASS SYSTEM DISCOMFORT and COMPARISON with WESTERN MEDIA is CONSIDERED by this kind of REVIEWER: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5870646/
'KARKAR' is like many EGYPTIAN FILMS. BEHIND the COMEDY, one feels like one is being TAKEN TO COURT in the CINEMA. The SATIRE creates GROTESQUE REFERENCES to CORRUPTION and BAD BEHAVIOUR in EGYPTIAN LIFE and CHIDES the AUDIENCE for so much of SOCIETY being such a MORAL FAILURE.
THEMES of 'KARKAR':
- GREED for INHERITANCE
- SELFISHNESS
- VAST EXTREMES PEOPLE GO FOR MONEY
- DECEPTION and FALSE APPEARANCES
- LACK OF EMPAHTY
- GOOD TRIUMPHING OVER EVIL
STYLING
MOHAMMAD SA'AD is said to have IMPROVISED a lot of SCRIPTS and PERFORMANCE on CAMERA. This is in line with UK DIRECTORS like MIKE LEIGH [b.1943] who SCAFFOLD FILMS but SHOOT in SEMI-IMPROVISATION because they feel that REHEARSAL makes for MECHANICAL ACTORS. The UK and EGYPT both have SIMILAR APPROACHES to BRUTAL SATIRE and USING MEDIA as a 'MIRROR TO SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH COMEDY + POLITICS.
YASEMIN ABDEL AZIZ has great APLOMB for SHARP LOW CLASS COMEDY. The DOUBLE EDGED of AZIZ shows the BRUSQUE HUMANITY of LIFE ON THE EDGE for EGYPT'S POOR through the HILARIOUS SUDDEN CONTRASTS in VOICE TONE and VOCAL MANNER! SA'AD HAMS up his PERFORMANCE in DRAG as a MONSTROUS CARICATURE of a 'HEROINE OF THE GOLDEN ERA OF MELODRAMATIC EGYPTIAN CINEMA' like LAILA MURAT in PRICELESS LAMPOON!
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES - MEDIA STUDIES - Fair Use
