Cairo Time : A Review

Recently me and my wife watched Cairo Time and came to the conclusion this is a rare display of restraint in what could be otherwise a tempestuous extra marital love story. This is a contrary view of the film which many critics dismissed as vapid and reticent. Cairo Time begins with a premise of extra marital affair and you expect sparks will fly when a middle aged married woman meets a dashing bachelor on a foreign shore. However nothing much happens to indicate a stormy relationship. Patricia Clarkson is a Canadian woman, married and a mother of two. She is a magazine editor. When she lands up in Egypt for a vacation with her husband she has to wait because her husband works for UN and is held up in Gaza. In the meanwhile Alexander Siddiq, a confirmed bachelor working as a security officer spends time with her and takes her around. The beautiful cinematography of the city, the white desert  and the Pyramids made me feel like visiting Cairo. The pace of the movie is as languid as the river Nile flows. However there are subtle moments between the svelte Patricia and the handsome Siddiq that makes you fall in love. Slight touch, ungiven kiss and silent admiration are the hallmarks of this movie which exemplifies that true love has to be felt not expressed.

In general, movies on extra marital affairs are expected to be pots of emotions stirred with physical intimacy. Emotional upheavals and resultant physical tensions become palpable in such movies. But Cairo Time is all about restrain in such situation and it is very plausible to display such restrain because we human beings are aware of such situations where we do maintain calm and composure even when faced with temptations of flesh. We know we get embroiled in such situations where the body wants to give in but mind says No. And that’s how we maintain civility in many such tempting relations of life. So I cannot dismiss this movie as taciturn due to lack of tumultuous affair.

My wife also pointed out the beautiful dresses Patricia Clarkson was wearing in the movie. Music  in the movie is well composed, particularly the piano pieces. Overall the movie is well planned and well executed. I would recommend anyone any day. I watched this movie in 2011 and then very recently. The admiration did not fade in these 7 years. Hence you can well understand this is my favorite.