The Egg and the Stone

Ali Abdel-Khalek's 1990 Egyptian film follows a man who teaches philosophy. Unable to cope with the corruption around him, he is mistaken through a misunderstanding for a fortune teller and amulet maker, and accepts the role. The idea is reason turning into superstition. He reads people with his knowledge of logic and psychology and what he says holds; at first he does it as a game, then begins using his power and abandons his ethics. Ahmed Zaki leads in one of the most discussed roles of his career. The narrative treats the idea of social decay in late eighties Egypt directly; the tone sits between comedy and darkness and the final section is harsh. Who it's for: those who like Egyptian cinema and social satire. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a sympathetic hero; the film makes its lead indefensible step by step.