When you hear the word Ramadan, what's the first image that pops into your mind?
If it's konafa, katayef, basbousa and tv series then join my club.
Of course there's also the fanoos and taraweeh prayer, but this, unfortunately, comes after the series ( obviously I'm not a role model when it comes to taraweeh in Ramadan, but I promise I'm doing my best). Especially this year, keeping up with reading the Quran and praying taraweeh is very difficult (not that i'm really proud of this!) as we practically have a tv series marathon. With more than 70 series being shown, audiences get confused with times and what to watch and what not to watch.
The marathon started the first minute on the first of Ramadan, at 12 am, and I was determined to watch as many series as possible to decide what I'm going to keep watching for the next 29 days.
After 18 days, I can finally tell you a quick and humble critique of the tv series I've watched.
I started off with "Bab El khal2" as I love Mahmoud Abd El Aziz. His acting is good as usual, in my opinion, but my problem is mainly with the story line. I think it's a little slow. Of course it discusses some serious issues now in the Middle East, like terrorism, how anyone who has a beard and seems to know some things about Islam is asked to give advice in religious matters and how some journalists are always looking for an opportunity to be exclusive, even if it's on the expense of a person's private life.
Another thing I liked is the production, which is really great, and the camera work.
Then comes Ahmed El Sakka's "5otoot 7amra2". Watching the promos, I decided that I'm not going to watch it as it seemed to be very predictable and, so I thought, would end up like his latest movie "El Masla7a", which it did in a way, at least in the first few episodes. Of course I couldn't help but start watching it as I always curious to know what was going to happen next, although I could still predict the happenings(I know and I can picture a huge question mark on your face, thinking: Are you crazy? or Why are you annoying us with all this?). After the sixth episode I decided that I'm not going to watch it anymore as I had some issues concerning the directing. The fall of Mo3taz, the protagonist's closest friend in the show, and it leading to his death was very far fetched and it was directed in a wrong way. Of course I'm no expert, but even from the viewer's point of view, a child would have survived this fall. The director didn't show us how high they were or if he maybe hit a rock or somthing, it just wasn't true. Also what bothered me was the shot, when the character of Ahmed Rizk was sneaking into the protagonist's flat to hide the money that would accuse him of collaborating with a criminal. It didn't make any sense! The director didn't show us that maybe he was watching the protagonist to know when he left the house. They even left the door of the balcony open so that they would leave Ahmed Rizk a way in. How come? If a person leaves his house, would he leave the door to the balcony open to invite thieves in? And yeah, of course he has to leave the lights at home open for them!
Yosra's"Sharbat Loz" was for me a big no no when I first saw the promo. I was very disappointed in her as Yosra's show was a Ramadan ritual for me. I didn't even bother with watching the first episode to kinda see what it's about. Until a few days later, when one of my closest friends, whose movie and series choices I trust, told me that it was good and funny. I got curious and started watching it. Much to my surprise, I really liked it! It's funny and it's, in a weird way, a feel good show(although today's episode was upsetting and sad). My mum still tells me that Yosra isn't convincing in this "balady" role, which I totally agree with, but when I think about it, a good actor or actress has to be able to do any kind of role. In my opinion, Yosra is doing a very good job, even if she overdoes it sometimes, but that's how it should be in this show because it's after all a comedy.
"Al Saf3a". I suppose ever since the great success of "Raafat El Hagan", Egyptian film makers love adapting true stories from the Egyptian Intelligence. They are usually very interesting and touching towards the end. Sherif Mounir is doing a great job in the series. He's doing the role of the Egyptian Jew who moves to Israel in the 1960's to escape a feared discrimination against Jews and joins the Israeli Mossad to get information about the Egyptian army. We've already seen Mounir in the role of an Israeli officer in the movie " Welad Al 3am", which he also did very well. On the other side, we see Haitham Ahmed Zaki as the Egyptian officer who is working to capture Baroukh, Sherif Mounir's character, and destroy any of his plans to get information about Egypt and its army. He is also doing a good job. The production could have been better though and a lot of the costume and music choices are not historically accurate.
"O5t Thereze" is also one of the series I occasionally watch. Okay, up until this day I can not really decide whether it's worth watching or not. I think it's a good story idea, a little cheesy and predictable, but Egyptians kinda need watching something like this right now. The main idea here is that we're all same in the end, whether Christian or Muslim. Hanan Turk is putting a good performance. One of the reasons I think it is worth watching is that it's Turk's last work in the film industry. She has officially announced that she has quit acting a few days ago.
The famous "Nagi 3atAllah" by the legendary Adel Emam is also a lot of people's choice as the no.1 Ramadan tv series. I think it's a good show and its story is unique and unusual. The choice of actors is also very good, all of them are good and prominent actors, in my opinion. And I'm very glad that we got to see Nedal El Shafei again in a hilarious role, close to the one he used to do in "Tamer we Shaw2eya". He's truly a very talented actor and this type of role suits him very much. The production is also good in this movie and the music is great.
I also chose to watch Asser Yassin's "El Baltagy". He is definitely one of my all time favorite actors. Yassin is just inspiring and he's a true talent. His performance in El Baltagy is definitely great. He has worked on how to talk, walk and even eat the way a "baltagy", or a thug, would. Someone who has never watched a performance by Asser Yassin would be shocked to see him talk normally. Compare it with his Sprite commercial and you'll get what I'm talking about. My mum on the other hand doesn't like the series at all, just for the reason that they use vile and vulgar words and the bloody and aggressive scenes they have in there. I tell her though that they're not making this whole thing up. This is how people live in some Egyptian neighborhoods and it has to be discussed on tv as well as in movies.
Now comes my favorite: "Serr 3alani". I don't need to tell you that Eyad Nassar is an amazing actor because I'm sure you already know that. His performance is impeccable and his character on the show is a very intelligent and amusing character as well. You are always looking forward to what he has next and what plans he has got brewing. Ghada Adel also did a great job on this. I'm used to her in the character of a nice girl who is fragile and delicate. In this show is all but that. We get to know that she is vulnerable when it gets to her past and that she was deeply hurt before, but then she gets stronger and tougher as ever and writes a book explaining how our world is functioning right now, with secret circles and institutions who rule the economy of all countries, steer the wheel int he direction they want us to go and only make us think and see what they want us to think and see, even if it's the furthest thought away from the truth. Although I'm not really sure if this thought is true or a little far fetched as we've already heard this a lot from a lot of people during the time of the Egyptian Revolution, but Serr 3alani is definitely a great if not, in my opinion, the best show this Ramadan. The production is great and Ghada Selim, the director did a great job. Also the whole mysterious and sometimes mystical atmosphere of the tv series is catchy: the decor, the houses, the clothes. It also dwells a little in the lives of the elites of Cairo and moves you away from the stereotype of a night club as a bed place where you're not supposed to go to and where terrible things happen. One of the main characters of the series is a night club owner and he is viewed as a very helpful and "normal" person, if you get what I mean. He's no villain or conspirer as some Egyptians tend to think.
This show is definitely a must-watch! The story is different, unpredictable and mysterious(especially at the beginning).
The ultimate NO NO: "El Zoga el rab3a". I don't even want to waste my time talking about it! I've watched 10 minutes of the first episode and I just couldn't bare to finish watching it. It's very cheesy, the acting is not up to the standard and since we have watched "3a2elat el 7ag Metwali", this show is nothing. Mostafa Sha3ban is not convincing at all in this role and seems artificial.
I really wanted to watch : "Napoleon wal Ma7roossa", but I just never manage to fit it in my tv-watching schedule". The few episodes I've seen were very prominent and the production is beyond any comparison.
"Taraf Talet" is also something I was really looking forward to watch since I was very pleased with last year's "El Mowaten X", since most of the crew of Mowaten X are also in Taraf Talet. The few episodes I've watched were well done, directing wise, acting wise and production wise.
"Rakam Maghool". I'm dying to know who's the guy who is completely manipulating and destroying a prominent lawyer's life through a mere phone call.
"Vertigo" looked also prominent. I watched the last 15 minutes of the first episode and I was impressed. I don't know thought if they kept up with this performance and interesting turn of events or not.
