On the Issue of Good and Evil in ‘The Ask and the Answer’

Artis a reflection of life. It mirrors it with its good and bad sides. It mirrors the human nature, which is equally a part of life, with its good and evil sides. In The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness, skilfully, draws his characters, making them as life-like as they could be. Through the In The Ask and the Answer, Ness succeeds in creating a world inhabited by characters whose credibility stem from being accurate portrayals of people we see everyday though not in fiction.

A very important aspect of human nature, that of life-changing mistakes, is embodied by the characters of both Todd and Davy. Both have killed. Both have done an ‘unspeakable sin,’ yet this does not turn them evil. Davy killed (spoiler coming!) Ben and Todd had killed a Spackle. The act makes their hearts grow harder and harder until, at a certain point, the acts starts working as a wake-up call, instead. Although the struggle between good and evil inside the minds of the two boys seem endless, the greater share of both sides – the good inside them – eventually wins.

Through his round characters, Ness tells his readers much about their fellow humans. In general, The Ask and the Answer speaks a lot about the world we live in. Under the story about the struggle of a nation is a mirror of life; life and its gray areas which lie between black and white.

Samir Abul-Neil: Film Review

 

Some performers have the blessing of people’s love without having talent while others have the blessing of talent without the love of the people. Therefore, it’s only natural to be grateful when you have both. But it seems this is hardly the case with actor/director/writer/rapper Ahmed Mekky. He has all the means needed to make an influence, meaning a positive influence, of course. His new so-called comedy is a collection of unclean jokes, patched together to form something similar to a plot. Samir Abul-Neil is the perfect example of what happens when a fine director, a fine writer and a fine actor agree to work with a production company which knows no language except the cash.

It all started when I saw the three big names of Amr Arafa, Ayman Bahgat Amar and Ahmed Mekky associated with El-Sobky Film Productions. Although this, as well as the trailer of course, were enough to make one form an opinion without even seeing the work, this would hardly have been fair. Or would it? So, I delayed my judgment until I’ve seen the film to its very end. The credits rolled down and I found myself storming out of the theatre in rage. This was the result of the unusual combination. 

I had just witnessed the irony of all ironies. Before me was a film whose message was that if trade your morals for money, you will end up losing everything. The message, which is spoonfed to the audience, continues to state that it’s the choice of the people to let others fool them or not. Thanks to the film, we choose not to be fooled by films which, on the surface, appear to be serving a good purpose – (Seriously, could you make about a film about the importance of having principles using the most offensive of language? Aren’t morals also part of principles?) – while it’s after nothing except filling pockets?

By writing this review, I’m applying another message of the film’s. I’m forgetting my role as a huge fan of Ahmed Mekky's and, like the journalist in the film, playing my role as a critic who has a hard time seeing what has happened to her country’s film industry. It’s true the film tackles a vital issue that we experience today in Egypt but, because it contradicts itself (for the above reasons), its message could hardly be of any effect.

Towards the end of the film (spoiler coming), Mekky addresses the audiences. He looks straight to the camera and says, ‘I apologise for wasting your time.’ This is when the voices in the theatre rose with murmur (and it was only murmur because it was in one of the city’s most prestigious theatres), indicating the fact that the apology was not accepted. Which makes me think I’m wrong to believe that the film has no influence on the audiences – for they, indeed, refused to be fooled by those who want to have their cash in return for 105 minutes of… of what again?

Snitch: Film Review

Aside from religions and cultures, it’s hardly arguable that drugs is one of the biggest problems in this world. This, of course, and the violence that leads to it. While reasons are as different as they could be, it remains a fact that the most common reason has to do with the parents of the addicted. Such is the subject Waugh’s Snitch. Through the story of John Matthews, the film traces the reasons for the dominance of drugs and relates it to several factors that pose a number of question marks.

Based on a true story, Snitch tells the story of John Matthews who lived a happy life until his son from his ex-wife is arrested and convicted of being a drug dealer. The incident acts as a wake-up call to the man who spent his life collecting money and caring about his business at the expense of his family. This is when he decides to pay for all the mistakes of his life.

Snitch could be easily mistaken as a 152-hour-long succession of action sequences. However, it gradually reveals itself to be more of a drama through a well-developed plot. The script manages to create a balance between dialogue, action sequences and character development, the thing that helps the viewer sympathise, rather identify, with the characters and their dilemmas.

The film’s genius similarly stems from the performances. Seeing The Rock act as an outsider among street thugs and drug dealers only reflects his skills. Also Susan Sarandon is wonderful as Joanne Keeghan, a federal prosecutor who is running for Congress elections and who is holding a big campaign against drug dealers. Other major roles, like Daniel James’ and Malick, were played equally excellent. The same goes for minor roles, most notably Lela Loren as Daniel James’ wife.

All the above makes Snitch a break from the reboots, the remakes and the nicely-polished-with-no-substance features that have been showering the film industry for some time now. It is a fine example of honesty, sacrifice and, above all, parenthood.

The film is rated PG-13 for drug content and sequences of violence.

The Host: Film Review

The Twilight series film adaptation may have ended with the release of the second part of Breaking Dawn. However, the ‘Stephanie Meyer touch’ continues with Andrew Niccol’s adaptation of The Host. Though a different story set in a different world with different styles in direction, the soul of Stephanie Meyer is as clear as it could be in The Host, making it hardly any different from Twlight.

Perhaps the best way to describe The Host is to view it as a rom-com disguised in a sci-fi. The setting is future earth where aliens take over human bodies for the sake of spreading peace on the once violence-dominated planet. Like Twilight, the entire plot serves merely as a justification for the love triangle (actually it’s a 4-sided triangle, if there’s anything as such) which seems to be the centre of all of Meyer’s books.

Despite the weaknesses in the plot, the film offers some really good performances. The lead character, played by Saoirse Ronan, does her job well, though this doesn’t show much because of the nature of the subject. The same goes with William Hurt as Uncle Jeb whose performance is one of the few credible things about the film. Diane Kruger also shows good acting skills, especially towards the ending. However, with almost no content besides cheesy romance, performances can’t be of much help.

Although the film doesn’t have much of the details found in the book, it still runs at 125 minutes. This doesn’t leave much room for character development although characterisation is, actually, one of the best things about the book. Also, the two hours feel quiet, empty and, paradoxically, stretched.

The question that remains is whether fans of the book will like Niccol’s take on it. Of course, they will see the film as very squeezed in comparison to Meyer’s bulky book but they may – just may – still like Niccol’s cinematic translation. I, personally, have no problem whether they like or not as long as I don’t see another Stephanie-Meyer film adaptation in, at least, a decade to come.

The Host is rated PG-13 for some sensuality and violence.

Insurgent: Book Review

One thing that is hardly debatable is that the young people of today are nothing like the young people ofthe last decade and the decades that preceded it. Their interests are no longer restricted to the release of a new album or hanging out with friends on the weekends. They are much aware of the world around them (and especially the world of politics). Young writers, as a result, have started to copy their experience of the world to literature. With books like Veronica Roth’s Insurgent, the Young Adult genre has started to tackle topics other than how important it is to have a boyfriend.

Like the second book in The Hunger Games Trilogy, Insurgent is set in a chaotic atmosphere. Roth has the talent of creating a world which, though fictional, mirrors the world outside her book. On the surface, Insurgent is a coming-of-age adventure of a 16-year-old and her struggle in the world she lives in. But the novel, in fact, reflects the political strife that the world is immersed in today. Although, like other YA books, Insurgent has some ‘immorality’, this is not as dominant as it is in other books.

The characters equally enjoy a great deal of credibility. In this book, the character of Tris is more round, having its share of both good and evil. Other characters, like Christina’s and Tori’s, are similarly realistic and life-like. However, though Tobias’ shows a new, different side, his personae doesn’t take its time to develop. Despite the exceptions though, Roth does an amazing job when it comes to characterisation.

The book which Veronica Roth wrote is more than just a story of a character’s life. It’s a dramatic representation of he lives of the young people of today who are leading a life that is different from their parents’. They live in a world that is more harsh, cruel and merciless; a world in which you are either a predator or a prey.