What the recent Netflix series, 1670, made me realize is that I missed watching a good comedy. The Polish show greatly satisfied my appetite, and I was not expecting to find any other movie or series (at least for the remaining days of this year) to be even decently funny. My doubts arise from the simple fact that it's tough to make a comedy. Not every filmmaker has good jokes in his mind, and even if they do, they sometimes spoil it with their improper comic timing. This is why I was surprised to hear myself laughing during the opening scenes of Khaled El Halafawy's Taslim Ahali. Here is a film that cracks you up from the beginning itself. Of course, my levels of optimism - and excitement - rose pretty quickly.
Consider that hilarious opening scene. Two public servants pass love letters to each other through a man who comes to them for their signature. Poor chap. He runs between two buildings to get his job done. Finally, he gives up and announces that he is ready to live without electricity in his apartment. I loved this scene very much. What's fantastic about Taslim Ahali is that this opening is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of wonderful jokes here (Sherif Nagib is the writer). Notice what El Halafawy and Nagib do with basic gags like the one where two characters remain oblivious of the chaos in the background or the one where characters pretend everything is normal when they are interrupted by an outsider. These typical moments give rise to gleeful chuckles due to their assured treatment.
Hesham Maged plays a doctor named Khalil, who's afraid of blood. He mostly walks around with a sour expression with no trace of charm. This is why you wonder why Zahya (Donia Samir Ghanem) is so attracted to this doctor. Yes, she is too desperate for a man, but what does she see in Khalil? Her interest in him is the sole unconvincing thing in this film. Ghanem, though, pleasantly, charmingly sells her desperation. I was in stitches when she imagined her whole life with Khalil to death, including his affair with a woman! Ali from the Dhoom movies has serious competition.
Bayoumi Fouad and Dalal Abdel Aziz make for an adorable couple. I smiled when he tore off her wedding dress to grab the guns. Oh yes, go into Taslim Ahali as blind as possible (don't even look at the Netflix synopsis). That twist during the wedding is genuinely astonishing. The film is mainly conceived with lots of jokes in mind. Many of them work. Even the ones that don't cannot be called terrible. My only complaint is that due to a plethora of amusements, the film can, at some points, feel a bit exhausting, as if it's vigorously forcing you to laugh. But Taslim Ahali gets so many things right that the gripes get lost amidst giggles.
Final Score- [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times