Promotional poster for the Egyptian series “Al-Ataula” (Al-Jazeera)

There are artistic works whose makers decide to discover new artistic spaces, whether in the scenario, photography, direction, or the performance of the stars, and there are other works that choose the guaranteed path to reach the audience without any significant risks, and this is the choice chosen by the makers of the “Al-Ataula” series, as they relied on the guaranteed success mixture that In the eighties and nineties, it was known as entrepreneurial cinema, which relied on the audience’s instincts and nothing more.

Director Ahmed Khaled Moussa chose in “Al-Ataula” what could be called “popular drama” that takes place in neighborhoods and popular places, and extends to the conflicts of corrupt businessmen, the trade in antiquities and drugs, illegal relationships, and everything that is the content of the Jamahiriya.

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Expected events and a lot of prolongation

From the first episode, the viewer can anticipate the upcoming events in each subsequent episode, and with the appearance of Ahmed Al-Sakka and Zeina and the interview that took place between them, the audience remembered the movie “The Suspect” and the love that brought together Adel Imam and Souad Hosni, and the brother whose role Saeed Saleh played in this movie did not bless it. His role in “Al-Ataula” was played by Tariq Lotfy.

Ahmed Al-Sakka (Nassar) in the series “Al-Ataula” (social networking sites)

The makers of the work did not mention that it was based on the movie “The Suspect” or a quote from it, perhaps to remove the specter of competition with the original work, thinking that the audience would not associate the two works.

The events of the series were greatly lengthened to fit the thirty episodes, but not only the lengthening and expected events are the reason for the action and excitement series turning into an expected work of art, but the choice of heroes also played a major role.

Championship for whom?

Ahmed Al-Sakka appeared in the role of Nassar, the gangster, who repents and abandons the alliance with his brother Khader “Tariq Lotfy” for the sake of his love, Henna “Zeina.” Al-Saqqa did not present anything new in the role that differed from his previous roles, as if he had one face that he wore in all the roles and an unchanging level of voice with which he presented all the characters, without taking into account the different backgrounds of the characters he presented.

Nassar's character appeared in a superficial and unconvincing manner compared to Tariq Lotfy's performance of the character of Khadr, who was convincing and realistic, able to capture the attention of the viewers in every scene he presented, especially the scene in which he remembered his childhood and the father's separation between him and his brother, which he presented with great sincerity to the point that he completely disappeared in that scene and did not remain. Except for Khader, the child who carries tortured childhood memories.

We cannot ignore Bassem Samra, who presented the character of Issa Al-Wazzan in the manner of a laughing villain, with the addition of a repeated phrase, “Bye, bye, without peace,” so that the audience would remember his character with this phrase, as he has been accustomed to doing since his appearance in the series “Zat” in the character of “Abdul Majeed of the Course.”

Women's roles and entrepreneurial drama

The female roles in the series varied between different personalities and ages. Farida Saif Al-Nasr presented the character of Sitra, the strong, domineering mother who resembles the leader of a gang consisting of her two sons, with exaggerated performance, makeup, and clothing, but the performance was convincing and appropriate to the popular atmosphere and the character’s social background.

Zeina, who is considered the first heroine of the series, had a consistent and stereotypical performance compared to other female characters in the series, such as Zainab Al-Abd in the role of “Katta”, who presented the role of the popular girl in a simple and spontaneous way, far from being contrived, and Hoda Al-Etrebi, who embodied the role of the popular girl who seeks to change her reality by Her relationship with any financially well-off man satisfies her great financial ambition.

A scene from the series “Al-Atawla” (social networking sites)

The female role that emphasized the idea of ​​contracting drama and completed the popular mixture that the audience prefers, is the role of Noha Abdeen “Diha”, who presented a mixture reminiscent of contracting films, emphasized by the close camera angles and dance scenes, so that the series ultimately fulfills the desires of the spectator who is looking for a popular mixture that includes “action” scenes. “And romance and comedy to ensure success without effort or innovation.

Source: Al Jazeera