You won't be disappointed!

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Though this is an important piece of Arab Cinema, which has been circulating in French territories for a couple of years, it appears to be unknown in the English speaking market.It centres on Biyouna, an actress widely known in her own country, here playing what they call a Mafia madam, first encountered collecting her valuables at the jail check out and being met by associates, who drop off her keys and leave her alone - like Denzel Washington in American GANGSTER. The bulk of the film is extended flashbacks, taking her up to this point.History, religion, scams, beautiful people, great music, strong two dimensional characters, intriguing Algiers settings (still recognizable from PEPE le MOKO) - a detailed picture of a corrupt society of which the central character is representative. The expert filmcraft never drags in it's two hours plus though the film lacks the strong resolution to turn it into a major work.Finding a film of this ambition is a reminder of how little we know of Arab movies, indeed Arab life and suggests what we maybe missing.That's something quite important at this moment.