Life's Speed Bump

A young man arrives in Cairo from the provinces looking for work and, by chance, ends up inside the family of a wealthy businessman. He starts with a small job and then finds himself in the middle of the household's relationships: what the family members do not say to each other, the problems being hidden, and the matters nobody can resolve. The more he tries to help, the more tangled it gets. Wael Ehsan's film runs in the familiar structure of Egyptian popular comedy: class difference, misunderstandings, and humour drawn from the character's innocence. The narrative does not idealise the wealthy family either; the rot inside the house is its underlying subject. Ahmed Helmy takes the lead and his physical comedy carries the film. Nour and Ezzat Abu Ouf are also in the cast. Who it's for: Viewers who like Egyptian comedy, Ahmed Helmy's films, and class-based humour. Who it's not for: The humour depends on dialect and local reference. The narrative is also predictable and the final section slides into melodrama.