Café Regular, Cairo

In today's modern world, conservative societies do not want to be left alone at all costs. They feel that they also possess the ability to show to the modern societies that they are slowly changing. It is done by selecting a risqué theme and making a pretentious work of art about it. Sex is one good topic which would always be able to attract massive attention either from conservative societies or from their modern counterparts. If one thought that showing sex in cinema was the only way of making a successful film then one is wrong. One can also get critical acclaim by make a film which doesn't show a single sex scene but just talks about it. It can be surmised that this is what led the director from a conservative country (India) to go to another conservative country (Egypt) to make a film about sex, a topic which is taboo for both conservative countries. However, talking nonsense cannot be called cinema even if it involves an 11 minutes long short film which discusses risqué themes for conservative countries namely divorces, sex and virginity etc. This is precisely a crucial juncture where café regular, Cairo fails miserably. Just because there is some talk in a motion picture doesn't mean that any film can be called a great film with Louis Malle's "My dinner with André" being the sole exception. Café regular, Cairo starts in a very banal manner with a trite discussion about divorces. There is hardly anybody who doesn't know that people will continue to get divorced as long as they are getting married. There is also a major casting problem to be witnessed in the film. Two actors who played the roles of lovers don't even look like lovers as the guy was not giving any hints concerning any feelings of love for the girl. The so called 'romantic pair' looked more like college students who were playing hooky at a cheap café. As one continues to watch this film, one fails to understand what was the entire point of a candid discussion about having sex in a conservative country ? Babies are made in all conservatives countries without anybody being gung-ho about sex. Why would one go to the extent of choosing a nondescript café to discuss one's personal plans involving physical intimacy ? This film fails to answer all such questions as it simply wanted a story about sex to be told at all costs regardless of knowing the reasons for telling a story. Finally, this film is a classical example of art for art's sake. It wouldn't be wrong to earmark it for consumption by professionals who relish in appreciating esoteric works of art.