The end of the series “Taala’ Nazil,” also titled “The Love That Was,” was harsh and painful, and sparked controversy among viewers across “social media” sites, while a group of followers saw that it was fair and that its heroine, “Noura,” portrayed by Mona Zaki, paid the price for her crime. Others sympathized with its hero, “Ali Dawoud,” portrayed by Mohamed Shaheen, stressing that he had not committed a crime against his wife until she took revenge on him in this way, and Mona Zaki won. Remarkable praise was given to her performance of this role, but the series also sparked controversy regarding the cruelty of revenge and the transformation of feelings.
The series, whose last two episodes were shown on the “Shahid” platform on Friday evening, and which topped “Trend” on Google on Saturday, revolved around a famous and successful musician who tells “Noura”, his wife, who is also his manager, about his secret marriage two years ago to the first woman he loved, played by Maryam Al-Khasht, and he tells her that he is expecting his first child from her, which gives her a great shock, especially since he asked her not to have children and she responded to him, then she discovered her inability to have children as she progressed. Age.
Noura begins a deceptive journey of revenge to destroy the man she loved. She does not leave his house, but shows him her love and dedication to his success. At the same time, she spoils his important contracts, drug him daily, and raises his suspicions about her cheating on him, while he drowns in drug use, is accused of stealing a global tune, loses confidence in himself, and spoils his relationship with his second wife, who asks to separate from him. Then Nora drinks from the same cup when she discovers that she is pregnant, and flies happy about it. But the doctor tells her that she must get rid of the fetus because it has deformities as a result of her husband's addiction.
“Noura” placing a spy program on her husband’s phone and monitoring his calls and movements raised the concerns of many husbands in reality, and this matter was raised by the journalist Amr Adeeb on the “Al-Hekaya” program, confirming that he had received many calls from men asking, “Does this program really exist?” It hosted experts in the field of information technology who confirmed that hacking a phone does not happen with just the push of a button, but rather requires downloading spyware directly onto the phone of the person to be monitored, which is a difficult and complex process that requires specific techniques.
The series, which takes place in 10 episodes, witnessed a performance match between Mona Zaki and Mohamed Shaheen, along with Maryam Al-Khasht, Mimi Gamal, Laila Ezz Al-Arab and Hamza Diab. It was written by Samaa Ahmed Abdel-Khaleq and Engy Al-Qasim and directed by Hani Khalifa.
Its author, Samaa Abdel Khaleq, denied that the series was based on a true story, and said that “the end was appropriate for a state of revenge,” stressing in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat that the characters in the series fall into a gray area, and that (Nora) is not evil, but rather a wounded woman who was subjected to injustice and wanted to avenge her dignity, as she was a support to her husband and contributed to his success. She pointed out that “the controversy that the series raised is a good thing because life itself contains paradoxes.” Many,” stressing that “the series did not present any scenes that offend modesty, despite its rating of +18 on the platform.”
She pointed out that Mona Zaki is one of the most important actresses of her generation and has added a lot to the character and work, saying: “We were writing the script with her in mind, especially after she got excited about the project after director Hani Khalifa presented it to her,” noting that Khalifa is one of the directors who has honesty and vision in dealing with the script.
Critic Nahid Salah described the end of the series as bold and tragic, as it does not provide a traditional victory for the heroine, nor does it make revenge synonymous with restoring dignity, as “Noura” succeeds in her battle against Ali, and is able to destroy him psychologically and professionally, but in return she loses the most important battle with herself.
She pointed out in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat that “the cruel dramatic irony is that the revenge that Nora began to take in defense of her dignity gradually turned into a force that devoured her from within, and the harshest thing in the end is not the fall of Ali, but rather the human price that Nora paid, who emerged not victorious and not completely defeated, but rather left us before a complex character, who began as a victim of betrayal and ended in a gray area between the victim and the executioner.”
Nahid Salah believes that this ending raises an important question: Can a person regain his dignity by destroying those who harmed him, or might he lose part of his humanity along the way? Pointing out that the ending is successful in its idea and significance, but she has reservations about the path that linked revenge and Noura’s loss of her dream of motherhood.
While critic Ahmed Saad El-Din praises the artistic level of the series, he believes that the scenario is the weakest link in it, and he said in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat that “The series (Tala’ Nazel) has the best artistic elements, thanks to the ingenuity of Hani Khalifa, and in choosing its heroes, so much so that we cannot imagine any other actors other than Mona Zaki and Mohamed Shaheen. Director Khalifa also succeeded in the role of (The Broken Father), confirming his talent as an actor.”
He believes that the idea of the work is closer to a cinematic film, as it revolves around a revenge episode that is suitable for cinema and is not suitable as a television work because it has a negative impact on men and women, he says.
Saad El-Din added, “Man’s transition from love and absolute goodness to absolute evil is unjustified, so the end was illogical,” as he put it.
Egyptian actor Ahmed Mekky is betting on his new play “In a Second Place” to present a different theatrical experience to the Saudi audience, which will be launched within the “Riyadh Season” activities during the period from 11 to 15 November (November) with the participation of a group of Egyptian actors, including Mustafa Gharib, Mustafa Khater, Hossam Dagher, along with Sarah Salama.
The events of the play “In Another Time” revolve around a talented playwright who finally gets the opportunity of a lifetime to present his work on stage, but his approach to achieving his dream puts him in front of challenges that go beyond writing the script, so he finds himself stuck between his belief in true art, the temptation of fame, and the demands of the industry.
As tensions escalate, the play's release becomes threatened, and the writer finds himself faced with choices that test the extent of his adherence to his artistic vision and his ability to deal with the pressures surrounding his project, while the dream he waited for so long is about to collapse before it reaches the audience.
The play presents its story in a comedic framework that carries human feelings, and through its hero’s journey, it raises a question about the ability of sincere art to triumph in today’s world, and the difficulties the creator faces when he tries to balance devotion to his art and the pursuit of success.
The play is the second that Makki presents to the Saudi audience after presenting the play “Hazalqum” with the participation of Bayoumi Fouad in Riyadh, which co-starred with Mirna Jamil and Bayoumi Fouad, and was shown in 2020.
The producer of the play “In a Second Place,” Alaa Al-Ghazali, confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the idea of the work began with its author and director, Ahmed Mohy, and that Ahmed Mekki was very enthusiastic about it, noting that they began implementing it and nominating the work team quickly.
Al-Ghazali expressed her happiness with the reactions to the promotional poster for the play and the audience’s interaction with it on social media, confirming their readiness for the show in Riyadh and receiving the audience’s reactions after watching the show.
The author and director of the play, Ahmed Mohy, said that the idea of collaborating again with the artist Ahmed Mekki had been on the table since his participation in writing the series “Khalasana Bishaka,” explaining that they were looking for a joint project, before he presented to him the idea of the play, which he admired and was excited to present, after he found in it a different experience that combined comedy, drama, and romance.
Mohi added, “The play deals with art and sincerity in work, and the importance of making an effort to present content that has a positive impact,” noting that “Makki is the most suitable artist to present this story in a comedic framework, combining laughter and the human dimensions of the characters.”
Mohy explained that “the comedy he writes provides more than one way to present it, and relies mainly on real situations and the paradoxes they contain that can be treated with sarcasm,” pointing out that he began forming the work team based on his confidence in the talents of the participants, most of whom he has friendships and previous work experiences with, especially since he is a graduate of the Center for Artistic Creativity.
He pointed out that “he has been working on the play for about 4 months, during which he writes the script and re-edits it as preparations develop, while work sessions and rehearsals have been continuing for more than a month and a half, allowing details to be developed and situations and characters to be tested on stage.”
The author and director of the play confirmed that “the presence of Ahmed Makki was one of the reasons for the work team’s enthusiasm, due to his artistic stature and the desire of many artists to cooperate with him,” pointing to the enthusiasm of the participants in the play, including Mustafa Gharib and Mustafa Khater.
Regarding the space for improvisation, Mohy explained that “as an author, he is keen to present a tight text, so the space for improvisation remains limited, and most of the laughs depend on the written situations.” He added, “The comedian may suggest good additions that suit his character, and those that serve the show are chosen, achieving a balance between adhering to the script and benefiting from the actors’ ideas.”
The movie “Godzilla Minus Zero,” which opened in Europe on the third and fourth of this month before arriving in the United States and Canada on the sixth, promises to turn cities into ruins and life into a series of disasters. He invades people's ordinary lives and turns them into nightmares. With its huge feet or long limbs, it smashes everything that gets in its way (or doesn't even get in its way).
This is the approach of this entire series, but the new film reveals new achievements in the field of disaster cinema in general.
Reflections
The new film is in Japanese, and was directed and written by Japanese Takashi Yamazaki after a series of “Godzilla” films made by American directors. The work also includes a mostly Japanese team, which makes the film’s identity more complete and belongs to the origins of this series more than it belongs to the recent Hollywood productions.
There is no fear of its “Japaneseness” regarding its success in global markets. In fact, its revenue numbers in its first three days are no less than $26 million, a number that is more than double what “Godzilla Minus One” achieved in 2023 in its first three days, which amounted to $11 million and 400 thousand dollars. At the end of last year's Godzilla screenings, Godzilla had grossed $57 million from the 950 theaters in the United States. The new “Godzilla” is now shown in 4,003 theaters.
This success reflects that blockbuster productions, both in budget and subject matter, continue to dominate thanks to an audience hungry for their core entertainment genres, namely science fiction, fantasy, horror, comedy and animation.
A look at the top ten films at the global box office this year, and so far (that is, before the recent results of “Godzilla Minus Zero”) suggests that size is important, as well as confirming the ability of many cinematic chains to repeat their previous successes, part after part.
Readings in the top ten
Ten films top the list out of 100 films whose revenues have been monitored since the beginning of this year, consisting of “Spider-Man: A Brand New Day” in first place with revenues of two billion and 521 million and 214 thousand dollars, followed by “The Odyssey” with revenues of one billion and 801 million and 608 thousand dollars.
Other films that make up the rest of the list are “Toy Story 5” (third place), “Michael” (fourth), “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” (fifth), then “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in sixth place, followed by “Project Hail Mary” in seventh place, then the Chinese film “Pegasus 3” in eighth place, and “Minions & Monsters” in ninth place. The horror film “Obsession” closes the list in tenth place, with revenues of just over $500 million.
Three of these films are animated: “Toy Story 5,” “Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” and “Minions & Monsters.” Six of them follow previous series and parts. One is a biopic (Michael), one is a comedy (The Devil Wears Prada 2), and another is a horror film (Mania), which topped the list of horror films produced this year, followed by “Resident Evil” and “Backrooms.” The total gross of these three films together (each for a different production company) is close to one billion and 222 million dollars.
As the situation is like this, it is quite strange that a film with content and an artistic vision, and based on a different historical theme, “The Odyssey,” achieved second place among the rest of the films made for entertainment only.
With and against
We have to keep in mind two points of interest: The first is that these films and others could have doubled their revenues had it not been for the film platforms that now share the results, and that ticket prices are higher than they were even ten years ago. The first point reflects the strength of cinema, which emerges victorious from the competition of home screenings despite the platforms, and the second reminds us that the higher the ticket price, the more it obscures the actual commercial value of the film in terms of the number of viewers. At the beginning of this century, five million viewers, with lower ticket prices, were enough to achieve the same success that ten million viewers achieve today.
There are other important notes that can be summarized as follows:
1- Demand for cinema halls has become less spontaneous than it was previously. A successful film is one that the mainstream audience considers a must-see event, as is the case with “The Odyssey” or most of the series mentioned above. Thus, the film must turn into a real “event” (meaning an event) worthy of acceptance by the public at today’s ticket prices.
2- Thus, it has become more difficult for a film that is submitted for screenings with a stand-alone script, even if it is financed by large companies (such as “Wuthering Heights” and “Verity”), to achieve a sufficient degree of success. Even some series that were launched with the hope of achieving results beyond their predecessors, such as Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grougu and Scream 7, achieved modest successes this year.
3- The presence of six animated films in the top ten list is an important indicator that animation films are still popular with the mainstream audience. Here it must be noted that while other films depend on one or two people entering to watch them together, the animated film doubles its ticket sales once family members (of three and above) enter to watch it.
4- The economic and political conditions in some regions of the world negatively affect the number of movie theatergoers. This is not new, but it has been a recurring reality for decades. Therefore, the more stable or stagnant security is, the higher the number of ticket buyers. It can be noted here that the Corona epidemic years ago was the only reason for the decline in demand for cinema halls around the world.
5- The big screen is one of the most important reasons for attracting a wide audience. There is no alternative to it on home screens, even if they are large sizes (from 22 to 34 inches). Imax Entertainment announced on the 5th of this month that its revenues for the third quarter of this year amounted to $174 million around the world, an increase of 69 percent over the revenues of the third quarter of last year.
In the midst of all this, independent cinema is trying to maintain its already weak positions. It has become clear, for years, that her only recourse to success lies in her performances at major festivals, which are a commercial investment that does not equate to media and marketing. If she is able to win first prizes at Cannes, Venice, or the Oscars, her level of commercial success will increase. It will not enter the list of ten or twenty, but it will continue to exist with the possible profit shares available.
