Alexandria, Private

Sandra Nashaat's 2005 Egyptian film follows a young lawyer taking on the defence of a woman accused of murder. As the investigation advances, what his client says stops matching the evidence and he begins to fear for his own safety. The film belongs to a period when women directors in Egyptian cinema were turning to genre. Nashaat knows how to build tension; the Alexandria locations and night sequences are used well. The tension between Ahmed Ezz and Ghada Adel carries it. Its weakness is the turns piling up in the final section and some clues not holding when you look back. Who it's for: viewers who like Arab thrillers and courtroom construction. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a soundly built mystery, or avoiding violent content.