<span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">L</span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-track="0">ots of charm and subtle social commentary is on offer in </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic" data-atex-track="0"><em>Mamno' El Eqterab Aw El Tasweer</em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-track="0"> (</span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic" data-atex-track="0"><em>Don't Approach or Take Photos</em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">).</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">The hustle and bustle of a slightly decrepit police station, which used to be an old stately villa, is thrown into chaos when the indomitable daughter of the long deceased property owner, Thurayah (Mirfat Amin), shows up to claim what is rightfully hers.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">Suspicious of her motives, police chief Hamada (Boumi Fouad) offers Thurayah and her family temporary residence at the station, confident the rich family's interaction with Egypt's lower-class citizens will scare them off.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">Being </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">an ensemble cast, there are plenty of intertwining stories thrown in the mix. The chief theme among them is the family's wish to escape the autocratic clutches of Thurayah.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">The eldest son Farouq (Tariq Al Ibyari), who along with his pregnant wife Yasmin (Nour Qadri) makes a home out of a cell and revels in the criminal atmosphere.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">His younger brother and shy artist Bassam (Mohammed Mahran) falls in love for the first time with an unsuitable woman, while sister Firyal (Yousra Al Wazi) can't wait to get married and escape her mother's grasp, even if that means marrying inside the police station.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">Thurayah's husband Abdul Latif uses his standing in society </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">to help criminals get their due process.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">While the lighthearted nature of this film is a departure for writer-director Romany Saad, whose previous film credits include 2015's darkly atmospheric </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic"><em>Tuk Tuk</em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]"> and the pensive 2011 drama </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic"><em>Cold January</em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">, this latest feature continues Saad's knack for useful social commentary.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">With </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic"><em>Mamno' El Eqterab Aw El Tasweer</em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">, Saad uses the neat trick of juxtaposing Thurayah's disciplinarian approach with the treatment of criminals by the police. What we get in the end is more frustration and confrontation. The film's biggest setback is perhaps that Saad has given himself too many balls to juggle. There are at least five different subplots coursing throughout </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic"><em>Mamno' El Eqterab Aw El Tasweer</em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">, and some of them </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">are just left </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">unresolved, which leaves the viewer wondering on a number of fronts.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">That said, the cast puts in a solid performance</span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">. Veteran actress Amin gives the towering Thurayah an equal sense of gravitas and fun, while Al Ibyari's transformation from quiet doctor to confident husband is entertaining to watch.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">The highlight, however, is Fouad. His portrayal of Hamada, a luckless chief whose dedication is ignored by superiors, is beautifully understated<br/> and affecting. It all adds up to </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic"><em>Mamno' El Eqterab Aw El Tasweer </em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">being a mostly fine character-driven drama full of humour and insight.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="NormalItalic"><em>Mamno' El Eqterab Aw El Tasweer </em></span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]">is showing in theatres now.</span> _________________________ READ MORE __________________________