Cannes Review: ‘The Child From Heaven’ by Tariq Saleh

These are the early days of the Cannes Film Festival, so it may seem a little premature to predict the awards, but it’s still hard to imagine Swedish-Lebanese actor Fares Fares’ outstanding performance in Tariq Saleh’s fiery political thriller. a sky boy It will go completely unnoticed by this year’s jury. Saleh’s debut on the 2017 Sundance hit Nile Hilton Incident, From the moment he arrives, Farrés dominates the screen, playing a character whose chaotic appearance contrasts with brutal efficiency, a laser-focused mind, and a purely pragmatic morality.

this is ridiculous a sky boy The premiere should be done after James Gray. armageddon time, another movie about the rude awakening of a young man and another showing how destiny is shaped or dictated by race and class. But Saleh’s film turns religion into an already volatile mix, and while it doesn’t touch upon the sensitive issues that follow any discussion of radical Islam, a sky boy He displays a rare level of philosophical commitment to the subject, which pays off perfectly for his clear and nuanced final act.

The film’s nominal star is Adam (Taufek Barhom), the son of a poor Egyptian fisherman who lives with his widowed father and two brothers in a small coastal town. Without his father’s dominance, Adam studied privately and earned a scholarship at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo based on the strength of Sunni Islam. Surprising Adan, the father encourages him and sees this opportunity as a gift from God. But her fate is soon disrupted when Adam arrives: the great imam is terminally ill, creating a delicate void in Egypt’s fragile power structure.

This is where the Secret Tariff Service employee Colonel Ibrahim comes from. The government supports a moderate candidate with no ties to the outlaw Muslim Brotherhood. İbrahim is tasked with infiltrating and manipulating the electoral process, but his college cousin, Zizo (Mehdi Dehbi), reveals his identity. Zizo is tasked with finding a replacement, so a naive Man decides to capture him. Adam catches Zizo’s eye and they spend a night at Red Bull and dance hip-hop downtown, but when Zizo is brutally murdered, Adam soon realizes that the two mysterious sides are at war and he’s in the middle. He invites Adam to secret meetings, Abraham puts Adam in more and more dangerous situations, cares less about his safety, forces the wise to think on his feet.

Saleh, who is also the writer of the screenplay, quotes Umberto Eco’s novel the name of the rose As an influence, which is not so surprising given the religious setting. However a sky boy There’s also a lot to be said about the workings of the modern world and how politics and religion collide in any country. There is also a scenario parallax view There, and Barhom makes a very convincing pass. In fact, it doesn’t seem like it will be long until the film’s charm reveals the actor’s hidden firepower.

Say, a sky boy Turkey should be shot because Salih is an unwanted person in Egypt. But while shedding some background on local history and, of course, tackling a very complex subject, Saleh’s film operates on a much higher level than the socio-political and conveys a sophisticated adult thriller while simultaneously exploring the sharp psychological dynamics of history. relationship. Adam and Abraham, who were not as invincible as he thought. It fits oddly on the skin, but more festivals and hopefully bigger projects will inevitably follow for this smart and stylish director.