George Fahmy (Fares Fares) is an Egyptian movie star, recognizable even when he’s picking up some recreational medication. He needs said medication to handle at least two women he’s sleeping with and perhaps a third. He’s a lucky man despite his distinct appearance, quite different from the new role that his agent gave him. Six feet tall and slender, he has to play Egyptian President Sisi, who’s an entire foot shorter. The height difference isn’t the only thing he has against Sisi, having problems with the fictionalized character’s portrayal. The fact that the producer Dr. Mansour (Amr Waked) wants to make a movie about Sisi’s invincibility is nonsensical. Not to mention that he’s realizing that the administration is using his connections without them helping him back.
I can see the intentions of Eagles of the Republic, from director Tarek Saleh, as a comedic satire. The thing is that satires, like any genre, need compatible parts and the ones here don’t fit. The most confusing thing about this is the costume design for something set after the Arab Spring. If it’s set in the 2010s, why do most of the characters dress like we’re in Mad Men? The film also wastes Lyna Khoudri as George’s younger girlfriend and dismisses her character’s valid emotional needs. Sure, he meets his match with Suzanne (Zineb Triki), the defense secretary’s wife, but the romantic subplots distract. The film gets a lot serious in the end but by then the earlier damage is beyond repair.
- Rated: 15
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Release Date: 9/4/2025
- Directed by: Tarik Saleh
- Starring: Amr Waked, Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri, Zineb Triki
- Produced by: Johan Lindström, Linda Mutawi
- Written by: Tarik Saleh
- Studio: Memento Productions, Unlimited Stories
