City of Life
Director: Ali F Mostafa
Starring: Saoud Al Kaabi, Sonu Sood, Alexandra Maria Lara
The premise might not be the most original one - where three people who move in vastly different circles find their lives intertwined - but that doesn't stop City of Life from being an excellent movie; and a brilliant example of new Middle Eastern cinema. Filmed and set in Dubai, the film follows Faisal, (Al Kaabi) an Emirati who has grown up surrounded by luxury and privilege, Natalia (Lara), a beautiful air hostess from Europe, and Basu (Sood), an Indian taxi driver who dreams of a better life. It's hard to know where to begin in praising this movie - the first feature-length film to be set in Dubai - but it goes without saying that for a debut full-length feature, Mostafa has produced a stellar movie, setting the bar very, very, high for his fellow local filmmakers. The cinematography is slick, the acting solid. Sood, in particular, stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast, his portrayal of a man trying to fulfill his dreams both heartbreaking and utterly captivating. But that's not to say the other actors - including those in supporting roles - don't hold their own. Al Kaabi (making his film debut, no less) is brilliant as Faisal, a young Arab, who, influenced by the influx of westerners around him, has to decide whether to continue with his current lifestyle choices or take on a more responsible role within his family. The climactic ending is a triumph. It had this reviewer in tears and smiling at the same time.