Movie review Tattah comedy offers no creativity

There is a big difference between an actor and a jester. The former seeks to make the audience laugh, while equally managing to preserve the dramatic power to make them cry. The latter aims at making one laugh at any cost, whether through look, gesture or spoken word. Mohamed Saad, who plays the protagonist in the newly released comedy Tattah, belongs to the category of the talented pranksters or jesters. Since the release of his other films, such as Al-Limbi, Okal, Bouha, Katkout or Bouchkach, Saad's approach is the same – to ridicule a modest guy and see him transform into a hero in the end. This time, the film is about Tattah, a newspaper vendor, deprived of ambitions, and lives a simple life with his nephew. One day his neighbour reveals to him that he will inherit LE7 million ($1 million). He is willing to give LE2million to Tattah if the protagonist finds him a young girl (played by Dolly Shaheen) who has the documents necessary to recover his fortune. The storyline is built off a simple idea with a dominant déjà-vu. Jokes and comic effects Co-written by Sameh Serr Al-Khetm and Mohamad Badawi, the story is not different to previous scripts taken by Mohamed Saad. This time, however, the story moves in all directions and, at times, becomes an incoherent series of jokes and comical effects. Throughout a big portion of the film, we are faced with clown skits and no thread or dramatic plot. The excessively long sequence of gags fails to hide the film's many serious pitfalls. It is hard to understand where the director wants to take the viewers as the film is packed with stereotypes. The moment the tone becomes more serious, the film aims to create a sense of adventure and suspense, only to reveal the hollowness of the storyline. Tattah has all the ingredients from the old dishes already presented by Mohamad Saad as he rarely changes his style. The film carries one advantage though, Saad finally realised that he should portray a character corresponding to his actual age. As such, he embodies the role of the uncle of a young student, played by Omar Mostafa Metwally. All side characters are caricaturised, although they do not have the same importance. None of the actors leave a permanent impression, whether it is Dolly Shaheen or Marwa, Tattah's neighbour who is in love with him. Despite evident efforts exerted by the whole team, the troublesome framing, conflicting sets, and scenography deprived of glamour is what lies behind the flatness of this movie. Tattah is not the worst film coming from filmmakers, but for the actors, it is a big challenge if they hope to attract fans in their upcoming productions. From : Ahram Online