Marie El Brimo: The dilemma of high revenues & poor artistic quality

 

Since the release of Mohamed Henedy’s latest movie Marie El Brimo a wide controversy occurred. The movie amassed high revenues, despite this fact there are a lot of extremely negative posts and reactions about the movie from both film critics and audience.

 

The high revenues came from the popularity of Henedy which he may lose one day if he continues moving on the same path.

 

There is usually a gap between the opinion of film critics and audience but this time both agreed that Henedy should reconsider his choices. 

 

This year was a rough one for the popular comedian with two consecutive flops ( Nabil El Gameel Akhesa’ai Tagmeel and Marie El Brimo) and the question remains, has he learnt from his failures? Does he understand what the audience expect from him or how people have evolved? After watching his last two movies , the answer is definitely No.

 

But first let’s start with the good cinematic elements- which are literally very few- in Marie El Brimo movie. The first good aspect in the film is the nostalgic soundtrack of veteran musician Khaled Hammad that conveyed brilliantly the feeling of nostalgia because of the reunite of the trio Mohamed Henedy, Ghada Adel and director Saeed Hamed after 25 years since their last collaboration in the smash hit Saeedi Fe El Gam’aa El Americia.

 

 

The soundtrack was not only nostalgic but has a lovely Upper Egyptian touch that was tailor made to help us delve more into the movie mood. The second and last good aspect is that Marie El Brimo has somehow good pictures and frames created by director Saeed Hamed.

 

Before analyzing the movie weak points, I have to admit without any kind of exaggeration that Marie El Brimo is the worst in Henedy’s repertoire. Henedy committed a big mistake before releasing the movie, he admitted that his previous movies didn’t meet his fans expectations and promised that Marie El Brimo will be different from all his movies, and will represent his strongest comeback!!! If Henedy thinks that Marie El Brimo is the comeback suitable for a veteran comedian like him then he is in a big trouble !! So after having high expectations, people where shocked to find it is the worst of Henedy’s movies.

 

There is a common belief associated with Egyptian comedy movies that if they manage to generate large doses of laughter then they are successful even if they have poor artistic quality but Marie El Brimo generates extremely few doses of laughter - I smiled once- and at the same time has very poor artistic quality.

 

 

 

Henedy gathered all the old and totally consumed jokes and funny situations of his previous movies and re-used them in Marie El Brimo movie. So the audience were expecting what Henedy is going to say in the coming scene, which represents a major defect in the plot. 

 

 

 

The cinematic formation of Marie character is incomplete. All what the movie highlighted about Marie is that he is a watermelon seller with a big mustache and searching for diamonds!!! There was no clue about his background, motives and characteristics. Marie El Brimo plot is very weak and lack cohesion. 

 

Ghada Adel role was meaningless in every sense of the word. I didn’t even feel the presence of Alaa Morsy. The movie houses veteran comedians like Ahmed Bedeir, Lotfy Labib and Mohamed Mahmoud but their comedy skills  weren’t used in the movie and literally I don’t know why!!! 

 

Henedy needs to make a reassessment of his movies in the past period, learn from his mistakes, and the most important of which pays more attention to the plot because it the pivotal element of any successful movie.