Follow-up to "Cairo Time" review
There were a few things I forgot to mention in the previous post.
In mentioning my frustrations with how minimalist the film was, I neglected to categorize the many wonderful moments that were real gems, that truly make the movie so wonderful. In no particular order, here goes:
At the wedding, there's a great scene where Juliette goes out to the veranda or whatever it is and find Tareq alone, sitting, nursing his drink and being pensive, no doubt about seeing his old flame. She comes up behind him and he stands up. (No, she doesn't put her hands on his shoulders!) Then, she takes his drink from his hand and takes a sip, then hands it back to him. The expression on Tareq's/Sid's face is priceless. "Do you know that you just did something very intimate and forward? -- oh, yes... I see that you do know. Well, well. What a little pistol." It's a marvelous expression -- surprised and amused and knowing but very casual, all at once. They do this little dance with their bodies and their eyes, while they discuss the fact that they will likely never see each other after a few days.
Or, at the wedding, how Juliette's face changes as she watches Tareq dance with Yasmeen.
Tareq's face after he steals a kiss at the elevator, after the doors close.
Of course, the famous hand-on-the-small-of-the-back.
Juliette's appraising looks at Tareq, which occur several times.
Tareq's smile when he teases Juliette about her magazine.
And Tareq's look after Marc has returned and the elevator doors close.
Really, perfection is in the details, and in this movie, the viewer's joy comes from a quick glance, a half-smile, a look held for an extra beat. A step forward, a step back, a step forward. A matter of inches. It really does demand all your attention -- if you blink, you'll miss it. But if you give yourself to it and put yourself on Cairo Time, it can sweep you away.