The Deal

Sandra Nashaat's 2012 Egyptian film follows a policeman whose brother has been killed and who transfers to the anti-narcotics unit to pursue revenge. Hamza puts the major dealer Salem under surveillance; Salem has smuggled his own brother out and fabricated a charge against Hamza's wife. The story is built on the two men growing steadily more alike. Ahmed Al Saqqa facing Ahmed Ezz was the film's draw in Egypt. The production values are high and the action sequences are above the Egyptian norm of the period. What is interesting is that it was made immediately after the 2011 revolution and implies a relationship between the state and crime, though that implication never becomes a political position. Who it's for: viewers who like Egyptian action cinema and crime thrillers. Who it's not for: anyone uncomfortable with intense violence, or wanting character depth and political analysis.