There are always recipes of success in cinema that filmmakers resort to when they want to make a quick movie.
Buddy movies are one of these recipes. They usually feature two friends with contrasting characters, who go through an adventure with each other.
Directed by Karim el-Sobky and starring AmrYoussef and Mohamed Mamdouh, Sheqo uses this same recipe as a movie.
It is written by Wissam Sabry, being based on the American writer Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves – which was adapted into the 2010 movie The Town which was directed by Ben Affleck.
Sheqo follows the story of two close friends who grow up together.
However, at an early age, the two friends get involved in crime, developing a special obsession with law-breaking.
Despite their criminal nature, the two friends have principles: Never rob the poor, and focus only on the rich.
Events become complicated when the two friends get involved in a major crime that puts their lives at stake. They are suddenly chased by more than one party.
The two friends work under the command of a mysterious woman who calls herself ‘The Doctress‘.
Played by Youssra, the Doctress commands thetwo friends to steal important documents from the safe of a wealthy sick man who lives alone in a mansion with a nurse, played by Dina el-Sherbiny.
The operation faces many difficulties, the most important of which is the resistance of the patient and the nurse, which leads to the death of the patient and the injury of the nurse.
Although the story of the film is a bit repetitiveand its plot traditional (loyalty between friends), they are still enjoyable, especially thanks to the good acting and strong bonds between the two friends, each of which is ready to sacrifice his life for the other.
Ismail, one of the two friends, played by AmrYoussef, is the brains, whereas his other friend, Hegazy, played by Mohamed Mamdouh, represents force.
This reminds us of the famous Egyptian film Salam Ya Sahibi (1986), which stars Adel Emam and Saeed Saleh.
In addition to the well-designed battles, good action scenes, and car chases, the movie also features romantic love stories between Ismail and Fatma (the nurse) and between Hegazy and Fotna (Amina Khalil).
These romantic scenes are employed well to give a break for viewers to catch their breath while watching the successive action scenes.
Ismail’s relation with Fatma is also a turning point in the movie, as it pushes Ismail to leave the crime scene.
This makes Hegazy view this relationship as athreat to the lifestyle he and his friend had developed over the years. This is why he tries to end this love affair by all means.
Good acting is one of the attractive aspects of the movie. Mamdouh represents a man without a mind, who only uses his strong muscles to take whatever he wants. This appears spontaneously in his looks.
On the other side, Youssef works hard on his fitness and is able to jump from a tall building with no need for a stuntman.
The movie also represents a bold step forward for Khalil who used to play the romantic or aristocratic woman. In Sheqo, however, sheplays a nightclub dancer, a totally new realm for her.
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