Cairo Time is a nod and a wink to women of middle age. Contesting western attitudes, the gentle and understated film reveals there are escapades, challenges, and dark exotic men to be had by women on the wrong (or let’s say greater) side of fifty. The lead female is aptly named Juliette (Patricia Clarkson), as writer/director Ruba Nadda’s (Sabah: A Love Story) film summons Shakespeare’s theme of impossible love; a romance between ‘a pair of star-crossed lovers’.
Arriving in Cairo to meet her husband, Mark (Tom McCamus), a UN worker stationed in the Gaza strip, Juliette Grant discovers he has been delayed, and instead meets her husband’s former UN co-worker, Tareq Khalifa (Alexander Siddig). In Mark’s absence, Juliette, an inquisitive and quietly audacious woman, is left to explore the alluring and unfamiliar city. As she is isolated from her husband, and as her two adult children have recently flown-the-coop, she is at one of life’s crossroads. However, in this exotic locale, her life is almost unrecognisable. Lusted-after by young men, lured by tales of lost love and affairs, and cautiously, and unofficially, courted by Tareq, Juliette gracefully and gradually yields to these unexpected and enchanting moments. Juliette is no longer anchored by familiar people and places, she is cast out into a new sensuous and far-removed existence; she is living in Cairo Time.
In actuality, not much happens within this film, though that is part of its charm. The story is told, and the romance is evident, through a series of low key nuances and glances. Whilst this reveals clever construction and proficient acting, it also exposed my status as an outsider to the films intended demographic. Whilst Juliette and Tareq’s companionship develops into forbidden emotional foreplay, or an unspoken mating dance, the threat of middle aged sex ominously loomed. Whilst the target audience was teased by an amorous glance or an expressive stare, I was bullied.
A picture of grace and refinement, I heard many comments about how lovely Juliette, or Patricia Clarkson, is by the fifty-something audience. Whilst her muted softness is engaging, I found her a little too precious. Whether she is confronted by gun toting soldiers, frustrated with her missing husband or taken off guard by her affection towards Tareq, Juliette remains in her Zen like state. Furthermore, whilst she is seemingly an intelligent and astute character, who engages and appreciates this mysterious land, Juliette displays blatant western ignorance and righteousness, though I find her feminist arguments hard to condemn.
A major draw card for the film, and I dare say Egyptian tourism, is the incredible visuals of Cairo. The audience is taken on a journey into the amazing city, without the need for a current passport or booster shots. There is always something fascinating to survey, including images of staggering pyramids, The Great Sphinx, a bustling street market, or an impressive desert. It seems director Nadda purposefully provides scenes to flaunt the fascinating city and culture, which I find completely justified and encourage in such a charming and scenic setting. Grittier aspects of Cairo are also explored, as poverty is delicately handled, despite Egyptian censorship constraints.
Verdict:
Cairo Time’s narrative is manna for the menopausal, but, at the very least, worthy for the rest. The sightseeing alone makes the film a fascinating interlude.
