Who's evil and who's good? Who makes the moral and ethical decisions? What can be considered true or false? Does the individual have the right to be the law and to have justice? That's precisely what Torab El Mas is about—it's all subjective and always the central issue in life. You will be left wondering what constitutes immorality and morality after reading this tale full of strange happenings, nuanced people, and poor choices. Torab El Mas is an intense, dramatic, and sinister story.
The
suspense, thriller, and crime film “Diamond Dust” was released in 2018. Based on the brilliant Ahmed Murad's novel and written by him. The film
features a superb cast under the direction of seasoned filmmaker Marwan Hamed. With Aser Yassin co-starring, including
Menna Shalabi, Mohamed Mamdouh, Majed El-Kedwany, Iyad Nassar, Ahmed Kamal, Sabreen,
Bayoumi Fouad, Izzat Al-Alayli and Sherine Reda.
A
Multilayered Storyline Shimmers
The story
revolves around Hussein Al-Zahar, a perfume merchant, who discovers the deadly
nature of diamond dust and its ability to cause excruciating pain and death. He
passes on this knowledge to his son, Taha Al-Zahar, who grows up to become a
pharmacist. Taha seeks justice for his father's murder and begins using diamond
dust to eliminate corrupt individuals who have caused harm to society.
Alongside his neighbor, Sarah, they embark on a mission to expose and punish
those who have abused their power. However, Taha realizes the importance of not
becoming an avenger like his father, and he decides to return the diamond dust
to its hiding place, symbolizing his commitment to a different path.
The saying
that was repeated at the beginning of the film was, “Anything we do wrong, we
must pay for it, even if we apologized,” and the events take us back to the
time of the beginning of the July 1952 revolution, reviewing the role of
Mohamed Naguib, the first president of the republic after the end of the
monarchy and the departure of King Farouk from the land of Egypt, then The
scenario reviews what happened with Muhammad Naguib and his removal or coup
against him by Abdel Nasser and the rest of those who called themselves the
Free Officers!! Here we have the right to ask: What are the small errors in
this story? Perhaps the scenario could not explain his point of view clearly,
so there was no need to go through this stage of history, especially since
everything that resulted from it had no repercussions in the course of events,
and if the intention was to explain the relationship between the child “Hussein
Al-Zahar” and the Jewish jeweler Bayoumi Fouad, from whom he inherited the
secret of the diamond dust, was wiser to make that relationship the starting
point and the starting point for the events of the film, especially since the
Jew had paid the price for his betrayal with the diamond dust.
The story is
not devoid of deception, but it is a good deception that is sympathetic to the
viewer and suits many. But
how can all these characters and their conflicts fit into a relatively small
geographical area - the circumference of one field?
Narrative
Weaves its Web
One of the
features of the scenario is that it did not resort to traditional moral
solutions, that the killer must receive his punishment, and that the police
must arrest the perpetrators in the end, and for this reason, the audience
rejoiced in the end, because within every spectator is the desire to eliminate
the rampant corruption in the country, and that it is permissible to kill Who
corrupted themselves in the most brutal ways.
Powerhouse Performances Illuminate "Diamond Dust"... “Artistic battle soldiers”
Taha Al-Zahar (Aser Yassin), a young pharmacist who loves drums,
lives a simple and monotonous life with his crippled father in one of the
“apartments” in Vini Square, but a quarrel with a thug addicted to narcotic
pills was enough to turn his life upside down, especially with his father’s
death in mysterious circumstances.
Yassin
delivers the expected proficiency, as this is the level that is expected and
expected of him.
One of the
best things he did in his role was that he was a very ordinary person with
nothing exceptional or extraordinary intelligence.
One of the most beautiful scenes he presented in the film was when he woke up from the coma following the violent blow he received while discovering his father had been killed, and the feeling of shock escalated into sadness.
The best of them all is “Majed El-Kedwany,” whose next movement cannot be predicted under any circumstances. He has complete control over his reactions, and he moves from one mood to another with such extraordinary ability that the film would have lost the most important reasons for its success without Majed El-Kedwany. An exceptional performance is full of challenges.
”The service”
(Mohamed Mamdouh), who has a body stacked with muscles, is
used by businessmen, including Mahrous Barjas, to end their pending cases and
suspicious businesses.
Mohamed
Mamdouh in the character of “The Service”, is the aggressive killing machine,
who lacks reason and conscience, in a role that can only be performed by an
actor with flexible talent, who loves to challenge his abilities.
Hussein
Al-Zahar (Ahmed Kamal), Taha’s father, worked when he was young
with Khawaja Laito, a friend of his father, in his jewelry store, polishing
gold and diamonds. He later worked as a history teacher, and the seizure of the
funds of the “Al-Rayyan” companies in which he invested his money led to a
nervous shock that caused... A case of paralysis in his legs. Only 6 years
passed until his wife left him and he began to live alone with his son, Taha,
and spend his life by the window watching in silence using glasses.
A
good opportunity he deserves and the influential turning point, the holder of
secrets and the engine of the film's events even after his absence. He is
helpless in his body, not his mind. He expressed his face and body language
more than the written dialogue.
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A subtle maestro praises the strings
Hisham Nazih's music always and forever imposes itself as
a welcome and tangible essential component in all the pivotal scenes of the
film. It was the most appropriate choice.
The
soundtrack plays a major role in conveying the general mood of the viewer,
using, for example, the sound of a clock ticking with intense music. The
soundtrack also paved the way for the event in some scenes and made the
spectator pay attention. We will now witness a momentous event.
Smooth Editing Enhances The Impact of The Narrative
Editing by Ahmed Hafez gives you a
feeling as if you are living in the scenes. You almost forget that there is a montage.
His ability
to maintain a sense of momentum and tension expertly paces the film, allowing
moments of quiet contemplation to balance out the intense action sequences.
Transitions between scenes are smooth and purposeful, ensuring a smooth flow
that keeps the audience fully engaged from beginning to end. The
synchronization between the visuals, sound effects, and music is good.
The film's posters and editing were not in the best condition and were a bit naive.
Visual Feast
for The Eyes Transcends Expectations
The
creativity of Ahmed Al Morsi’s camera, and the lighting of the interior
scenes, He skillfully manipulates light and shadow
to create an enchanting visual texture. The play of light, especially in
pivotal moments in the film, adds depth and symbolism to the storytelling,
enhancing the emotional impact of the narrative.
There is the
highest degree of accuracy and the choice of the color palette, which shows the
psychological state, monotony, mystery, and tension experienced by the hero of
the story.
The movement
within the space of a narrow apartment crowded with furniture and bookshelves is
among the most important elements of beauty that serve the course of events and
add to tense situations, creative in choosing angles that convey the intended
meaning to the recipient and make it easier for him to understand the
characters and events, such as
using the low angle - the angle that expresses contempt.
And
directing a distinctive artistic picture that achieves the elements of dazzle
and suspense, as they used highly professional staff from a narrow staff at the
beginning of the film at the foot of the crippled Hussein Al-Zahar.
There is
also a narrow frame on the face of “Sarah” - played by the artist Menna Shalabi
- that frame that highlighted the details of her face and the feelings of pain
and oppression that it conveys during her rape, and a narrow frame at the hands
of the hero “Taha Al-Zahar” - who is played by the artist Aser Yassin - where
we see His trembling hand is due to an accident he suffered and because of that
he cannot play the drums.
Marwan's
Hamed Brilliance Shines Bright in "Diamond Dust"
Diamond Dust
is added to the series of creations of Marwan Hamed, who has become a poster
star that makes the viewer accept to watch the film simply by reading its name,
and his cooperation with Ahmed Murad added to the highly productive writer
success in the field of cinema, choosing the shooting locations, camera angles, the
movement of the actor within the frame, and the size of the shots used by
Marwan. Hamed's craft is so powerful that it adds meaning that replaces words,
but it was possible to change the scene of the dismemberment of the body of the
"servant" with a chisel in a different style because it was repeated
in many works.
Marwan
walked in the dust of diamonds in the footsteps of “less is more.” Videography
triumphed over photography. There is an intense keenness on his part to impress
artistically in the formation of his cadres, something that he stumbled upon in
“The Originals.” The eagerness turned into an obsession. Hamed has sufficient
awareness that allows him to benefit from his missteps. This appeared in the
diamond dust, making the viewer interact with the puzzle without feeling what
is around it.
Scored The Hatrick
Diamond Dust
is the third collaboration between Marwan Hamed, director, and Ahmed Murad,
writer, after “The Blue Elephant” and “The Originals.” It is considered the
closest thing to “The Blue Elephant” for Spin. The first is that they are both
based on a novel by Ahmed Murad, and the second is that they belong to the
genre of crime and mystery. It is necessary to mention to any viewer who does
not admires "The Originals" and has not seen Diamond Dust yet. The
Originals is not a film for all people. The majority did not have to live with
it and understand it, but Diamond Dust is for everyone and its intellectual
depth is somewhat thin.
My final rating for the movie is 8.5 out of 10. Due to the presence of a historical part in the film whose existence or significance is not clear, the narrow geographical scope of all this corruption, and the lack of creativity in the posters.