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'SLEEPLESS NIGHTS'/‘سهر الليالي’/'SAHAR EL LAYALY' follows FOUR COUPLES in DISASTEROUS RELATIONS or MARRIAGES of a FEW YEARS. The CATALYST for the QUADROUPLE…
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'SLEEPLESS NIGHTS'/‘سهر الليالي’/'SAHAR EL LAYALY' follows FOUR COUPLES in DISASTEROUS RELATIONS or MARRIAGES of a FEW YEARS. The CATALYST for the QUADROUPLE BLAST-OFF is a CHILD'S BIRTHDAY PARTY at a HIGH CLASS HOTEL. The INTERACTION, COMPETITION, NAGGING DEEP INTER-PERSONAL PROBLEMS and BOREDOM if the MARRIAGES leads to FOUR HUGE ARGUMENTS at HOME. The FOUR MALES who are OLD FRIENDS share a car from CAIRO to ALEXANDRIA seaside town on the North Coast where they USED to GO as YOUNG MEN in EGYPT'S HOT SUMMERS. Each boy is perplexed in his crisis and they all tell the stories of their woes with their girls and families. As they DRIVE, the OLD SONG they LISTENED to TEENAGERS: 'SLEEPLESS NIGHTS' by CLASSIC SINGER: FAIRUZ [b.1935].
MONA ZAKI'S performance is EXTREMELY MOVING and CONVINCING as PERRY, the CONSERVATIVE HIJAB-WEARING WIFE of 10 years marriage to KHALED [FATY ABDEL WAHAB]. PERRY confronts KHALED after he accidentally hits the RING BUTTON on the PHONE while HAVING SEX with another WOMAN in his CAR. PERRY has SUSPECTED KHALED'S roaming for years, but hearing him IN THE ACT then JARS the game of 'HAPPY FAMILIES' into REALITY. KHALED'S apologies and guarantees do not move PERRY and they agree to a 'BREAK' to decide what to do for the best. MONA ZAKI is a CURIOUS PERFORMER as she has NO INTENTION of BEING an ACTRESS, being quite QUIET and RESERVED, but her CAREER BLOSSOMED with her SENSATIONAL TENDER ACTING and BEAUTY.
GIHAN FADEL portrays the more recently married MOUSHIRA. A woman who works in HOTEL HOSPITALITY with a FAMILIARITY with PEOPLE of MANY TYPES and NATIONALITIES. The husband ALI [KHALED ABDU NAGAR] has turned out to be less of the 'MODERN MAN' she ANTICIPATED. MOUSHIRA finds ALI a SEXUALLY INHIBITED MAN who has SEX in WEARING his PYJAMAS in the DARK, as CONSERVATIVE COUNTRYSIDE FARMERS. ALI leaves her cold and STRAYING when ADVENTUROUS YOUNG MEN in the HOTEL pay her ATTENTION. ALI is totally UNAWARE of MOUSHIRA'S rebellion against his OLD FASHIONED and PRUDISH WAYS.
HANAN TURK plays the rich wife FARAH of AMR [AHMED HELMY]. FARAH had been ENGAGED to ALI previously but the RELATIONSHIP FAILED and he MARRIED MOUSHIRA. AMR was a POOR BOY who was FRIENDS with ALI and his FAMILY which all had SOURED as he married FARAH. FARAH forever vengeful PRESENTS a FALSE IMAGE of GREAT HAPPINESS with AMR, who seems to prefer COMPUTER GAMES to time with his wife. AMR'S marriage to FARAH made him a RICH MAN with a HOUSE, CAR and SALARY that was PREVIOUSLY IMPOSSIBLE. FARAH is CLINGY, SHOWY and DIFFICULT which also STRAINS the MARRIAGE. The usual 'SWEET COMEDY CLOWN' of AHMED HELMY is almost UNRECOGNISABLE in such a TENSE and COMPLEX SERIOUS ROLE in 'SLEEPLESS NIGHTS'.
OLA GHANEM presents INNAS, another MODERN WOMAN who is STRUGGLING to make a career in the BIG CITY and tries to use her CHARM on DANGEROUS and LECHEROUS older rich men of the LEISURE INDUSTY to CONNECT and get a start. SAMEH [SHERIF MOUNIR] is the ARTY FUNNY RECORDING STUDIO ENGINEER BOYFRIEND
