Cairo Time | pinartarhan.com

The Last Legion starring Colin Firth, Aishwarya Rai, Ben Kingsley, Thomas Sangster, Kevin McKidd and Rupert Friend. Image from: http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia

Romulus Augustus (Thomas Sangster) is the new emperor of Rome. He might be young but he is carrying Ceasar’s blood in his veins. Even though he is protected by his parents and his new protector Aurelius (Colin Firth), they fail to protect him and themselves from the Goth attack. The king and queen are murdered and Aurelius loses his army. Rome is in ruins and Romulus is now a prisoner of the Goths. The only reason he is not dead- despite the wishes of the king’s right arm Wulfila (Kevin McKidd)- is his former caretaker/teacher Ambrosinus(Ben Kingsley)-who persuades the king that killing a young boy will not gain respect. So the kind decides to imprison Romulus and Ambrosinus.

By this time, Aurelius has gathered what’s left of his men and the guard their ally Constantinople’s messenger (Alexander Siddig) has assigned him. To his surprise, the masked guard turns out to be a very attractive woman named Mira (Aishwarya Rai), who fights just as well as he does.

The Last Legion with Colin Firth and Aishwarya Rai — Aurelius (Colin Firth) and Mira (Aishwarya Rai). We knew something was up when we learned he was single. Image from: http://images.allmoviephoto.com/

Colin Firth and Aishwarya Rai in The Last Legion — So, every couple has a different way of foreplay...Image from: http://www.pocandpoch.com

However they soon realize that saving their young emperor will be the least of their problems as even their own senators and allies turn against them and they will need to go to Britannia and find the last legion- their fellow Roman soldiers who never returned home. They will however have resistance and another and stronger nemesis….

This movie is pure fun. It is all there is to it. I am not really interested or knowledgeable when it comes to histories, legends and myths. So while lovers of the legend (I am not going to say which because it might be a lovely surprise if you don’t read the plot or tagline on IMDB) might be disappointed, I don’t see how entertainment and movie addicts like me- who also happen to be Colin Firth fans- will fail to have a good time. It has all the fun and glory of a fun little epic: strong and loyal characters, betrayers, romance potential, lots of fighting and battles, good-looking leads, some true wisdom, friendship, loyalty and more. It doesn’t hurt that it comes with a cast that features Colin Firth, Kevin McKidd, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend and Alexander Siddig. For those of you who have seen Love Actually- also featuring Colin Firth and Thomas Sangster- might enjoy watching Thomas as a teenager. Love Actually was made 4 years prior to this film and featured an almighty British cast including Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. Thomas plays the stepson to Liam Neeson’s character. And they do have an adorable relationship. Which reminds me, I should write about Love Actually.

Kevin McKidd seems to be getting his fair share in epic movies as he also co-starred in Kingdom of Heaven (starring Orlando Bloom) and he played in the critically acclaimed TV show Rome. I first watched Scottish Kevin as he played the Scottish fiancé of Michelle Monahan- the love of Patrick Dempsey’s life-in Made of Honor. He and Patrick continued to act together when Kevin joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Owen Hunt. It is nice to see Kevin go all evil here.

I am pretty sure Ben Kingsley needs no introduction but I feel his roles in Gandhi (as Gandhi) and Schindler’s List should be mentioned. He is also seen in a big role in Prince of Persia alongside Jake Gyllenhaal as his uncle.

Well, watching Alexander Siddig- albeit in a small role- was fun all the same. My recent admiration for the actor comes from watching Cairo Time. May he be in more and more leading roles without killing people. As he is quoted (from imdb)on his role in Cairo Time: “It was a real treasure, a treat, to find a character, a role, that wasn’t intent on trying to blow up the White House or hijack an airplane”. Well, he has been cast in 24. Boys might also remember him from Star Trek Deep Space Nine TV series.

Rupert Friend plays in Pride and Prejudice, Chéri and The Young Victoria.

Of course, I need to mention James Cosmo. Did you think the big warrior next to Kevin McKidd’s Wulfila seem familiar? It is because he played Campbell, Hamish’s father in Braveheart.

So, this is a movie about honor, loyalty, love and friendship. It may not be one of the best but it does show a good time. Of course there are many who disagree as the movie was rated a 5.4 on IMDB. Watch and see for yourselves. I think it is a 7.

Posts Featuring Colin Firth and his movies:

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The Accidental Husband

Cairo Time starring Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig. Image from: http://www.reelworld.

Juliette (Patricia Clarkson) has two grown children that both left home. Her husband Mark (Tom McCamus) is working for the UN and they haven’t seen each other for a while. So while he is working in Gaza, Juliette flies to Cairo. The idea is to meet in Cairo is soon as Mark is done with his work. In the meantime, Mark has asked his old friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig) to take care of Juliette until he arrives.

Tareq used to work for UN with Mark and he is now retired, running a typical café in the city. While her first days are a little bit boring for Juliette (well, she gets bored most of the time when she’s not around Tareq, she realizes that the person she can get along with them most is Tareq. They both know a little about the other one’s culture and they are both intrigued and amused by it at the same time. Their relationship is a very sincere and naturally-progressing friendship. It is not long before they realize they have feelings for each other. But it is one thing being attracted to another person and it is another to act on it…After all, Juliette loves Mark and Tareq respects his friend…

This movie gives a lovely opportunity to explore Cairo- with its streets and cafes, restaurants and pyramids, the crowds and the dessert…It is a beautiful city. Watching this movie is incredibly serene and comforting experience. It might be the subtleness of the acting, the use of music and the setting or the combination of all these, but I felt like I meditated afterwards. Yeah, this is a good thing.

While Tareq and Juliette got to know one another, walking through Cairo,I was reminded of Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and of course the lovely sequel Before Sunset. Of course in many ways, these movies are very different. In Before Sunrise, the characters are both young and single. And there is also the fact that Celine and Jesse didn’t have time to be friends. They just had 24 hours together. Here, in Cairo Time, we do get a beautiful love story but the love here includes and starts from friendship. There is a bond and it is even stronger than the chemistry and attraction.

Now, obviously the movie is not everybody. The pace is really slow. Now, the pace works perfectly for the film but it might not be your thing to watch mainly two characters hang out. And if you are expecting explicit sex scenes (or sex scenes of any nature), you will be disappointed. This is not The English Patient. In fact, I’d say that this movie is safe even for a three-year-old. But with all the action and the nudity the movie world loves so much these days, it is nice to get something that is deep and has such an innocent level to it. I love my action and fast movies. But this movie is a very nice, escapist from all that. I am just warning you about what to expect and what not to.

Both Alexander Siddig and Patricia Clarkson are lovely together. And while Mark is essential to the story, he doesn’t have much screen time. But after hearing all about Mark throughout the movie, I think it is safe to say Tom McCamus fits the “hype”.

There is a big chance some things are exaggerated. So what? Relax and enjoy the experience. Written and directed by Ruba Nada. 8/10.