Sheikh Jackson (2017) User Reviews

A movie that is unsure of its genre, yet carries interesting ideas and performances.

[salmamsalem · 6/10 · 31 October 2017]

Sheikh Jackson is a story about an identity crisis, self discovery and acceptance, one that is very in touch with Egyptian society. In the movie young "Jackson" is held hostage to his father which provides him no emotional support after the death of his mother. In a society that is open to globalism and with the curiosity and gullibility of the teenage protagonist, we see him trying to fill the emotional void with an obsession over Michael Jackson. Still unable to find satisfaction, and with the influence of his religious uncle, easily affected Jackson turns into a sheikh with time. The announcement of of the death of Michael Jackson in 2009 constitutes a trigger for sheikh; unable to carry the weight of his emotional and psychological burdens, he breaks down.

The movie itself was well made (not a movie expert here). But the direction, shooting, and music all together carried the emotions and turmoil going inside of the main character very well to the viewer.

I should definitely mention that no society in which the protagonist was part of (religious or otherwise) was demonized or prosecuted which is something we rarely see in Egyptian movies these days especially with increasing political influences in Egypt.

I think all of the performances were solid. Fishawy was a very obvious choice for the role and he carried it well, him and Malek really seemed like different age versions of each other. Ahmed Malek really delivered the picture of the naive and shy teenager (chapeau to the Egyptian accent he sang the MJ songs with). The casting of Yasmin Raees as Shereen was so discontinuous from the younger Shereen (Salma Abu Deef) who was a lot more cheerful than Yasmeen.

Despite being interesting, the movie did carry inconsistencies. The first half of the movie felt like an intense psychological drama (which is what I was expecting to see); the character of Doda/Jackson/Khaled is deeply troubled and the movie goes all the way to show this. After this psychological tension is created we see it quickly resolving to a "feel good" type of movie with very cheeky dialogue which was terribly disappointing. It made me as a viewer feel tricked into thinking this tension was real, while it just took one (yes that's right one) therapy session to resolve it! I think that the film makers did not really decide for what they were going for in this movie.

In conclusion sheikh Jackson is an interesting movie and I do recommend seeing it.

nice film

[hhenshiri · 7/10 · 3 October 2019]

A wonderful movie in every sense of the word It shows the volatility of young people and their attempt to be close to religion.

Good film

[brummieman · 8/10 · 1 September 2019]

I think its marmite, you'll love it or you'll hate it, I liked it a lot but then I like MJ and have also had my share of thus type of religious thinking in my younger days. Its a life story shared over the course of growing through teenage years to adulthood and how western culture can conflict with the eastern culture, though fictional its presented as someones life story and I also like life stories, so its all round enjoyable film for me.

I'd pay to watch it again

[basel-rafat · 9/10 · 12 October 2017]

Since I started watching movies when I was 10 years old, I've kept a collection of movies on my hard drive. Each movie I loved or thought was worth my time, I'd add to my hard drive. The list is almost at 25 movies now, and today, Sheikh Jackson earned a spot on it. The first non-English movie to enter that list so far.

I can't promise anything but I'll try to keep the spoilers minor in what's to come.

We start our journey with our Sheikh(who has no first name as far ahead as the mid-end of the movie) in a dream. Basically, a dream that paints us half the picture of our protagonist. He fears death, not only because it's, you know, Death, but because it means that his chance to improve his good-standing with god is gone. And so we start at the depth of our character and continue exploring it outwards.

Later, we get to catch glimpses of his childhood, and adolescence. Both well-acted and well-written. We witness the emotional traumas he goes through during these periods and how they made him what he is today. El-Kedwany plays a master-class part in portraying the child and adolescent Sheikh's father. He joins both abusive and preaching characteristics in a well-developed character.

To steer off giving any major spoilers, of what I think is a movie not just about a story or some events, I will just give a final opinion of what I saw the main character as. He is a very religious man, though not a fanatic. A good man, albeit flawed and haunted. A sad man, an imprisoned man, although with no warden but himself.

MJ (no, the other one)

[westsideschl · 9/10 · 3 August 2018]

Remarkable acting (puts Hollywood/New York to their robotic shame) for this Egyptian produced story of a young boy growing up in 1990s Alexandria, Egypt, and starting out fascinated with Michael Jackson's music & dance (as probably most of the world was). He faces stern (mildly put) control by his father to become an educated devout real man. The movie juxtaposes that experience with his current life as an Iman leading prayers at his mosque. There is dissonance within him as he remembers his youth of dance & music, but under Qur'anic precept loving life is a sin at risk of losing an eternity with God. So, MJ within this person is the fulcrum/tool/vehicle by which the battle between Western culture and Muslim culture is fought.

Very good movie

[m-altaie · 9/10 · 10 November 2018]

An excellent film represent the idea of the difference and duality of the Arab world and Muslim personality which is reflected on persona thoughts

Awful Modernity

[totaloverdozed · 1/10 · 16 November 2017]

Well i didn't like it first Ahmed fishawy is overrated dumb actor along with the horrible Ahmed malek,second modernity and westernized as hell the Egyptian cinema has done decades ago Sorry amr but that's pure crap you're just copying from Hollywood which will never do well in our eastern societies

Sheikh Jackson the missing love

[bayoumiosama · 10/10 · 26 October 2017]

Sheikh Jackson the missing love

Sheikh Jackson is a new Egyptian film go's to Oscar best foreigner language film computation and I hope it ll win The film Drama

by amr slams Egyptian writer and director

Produced by Mohamed Hefzy The film tell the story for a boy he ll lose his mother that will bosh hem to live confused between two world Many line lead you to the same result love can control you even if you don't know that The boy Ahmed malek will lose his mother so he will love foams singer michle Jackson that his mother before she did tell him he is great singer and she don't hit hem like his father to keep his mother love with hem But he will fight his father for that love tell he will go to live with his fanatic Islamic ankle and will became fanatic Man scary from every thing even himself bcoz they told hem you go to heel One day he will here from the news that his lover and sumble for his mother love the foams singer Michael Jackson did so he will shocked and remember his missing love his kind lovely human mother so he will decide to back to his normal life

Amr slams one of best Egyptian writer and director he have his won still and tcnike all his moves have a human case and he smart to over it to us in Good frame slams (born 22 November 1981) is an Egyptian film director, blogger, screenwriter, and author. Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,[1]he would later move with his family back to Egypt.[2] He began his directing career primarily with short movies and commercials, after which he shifted to full-length movies. Filmography • On a Day Like Today (2008) • Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician (jointly with Tamer Ezzat, Ahmad Abdalla and Ayten Amin) • Asmaa (2011) • Excuse My French (2014) • Made in Egypt (2014) • Sheikh Jackson Remember after you watch this film go to your lover and hug them kiss them let them that your love them before they day Osama bayoumi Gona international film festival 2017

Waste of time

[mmn-75718 · 1/10 · 13 November 2020]

No story to watch And all actors were very bad except only majed kedwany who deserves better than this stupid movie

it was requiring just a little to make it

[nourd-32418 · 9/10 · 28 December 2018]

The film is complete work casting direction Montague everything was prefect every actor was suitable for his role or we can say that actors made themselves perfect for their roles maged was the best actor in this show malek showed a confused teenage escaping from his empty life and his cruel father trying to find hims self in music and dancing fishawy wasn't able to present best he can the role was very short that i until the end and after end couldn't understand what happen after this his transform the film was a good chance but the writer couldn't make best use of it

makes sense

[heidji · 10/10 · 14 May 2019]

Many people of our generation relate to MJ when it comes to their childhood. This movie makes perfect sense how sujdden nostalgia hits real life. RIP King of Pop <3

Great movie!

[jomanahossam-82662 · 10/10 · 17 August 2019]

Loved everything from the plot itself to the acting to the visuals

AN ARABIC MASTERPIECE!

[imjaafar · 13 August 2020]

I've just watched the film. It's a story of a "sheikh" having an inner struggle between his beliefs and his feelings, which was buried since his childhood. The best thing in the film was the perfect using of metaphor to describe his suffer, like the scenes of "Michael Jackson" getting into the mosque, it was an incredible interfacing between his struggling sides. It was An extremely magnificent scene, which blew my head off. Another perfect metaphor was the last dance, which is a description of the inner peace he had after he opened the "coffin". It was a weird integration. The filmmakers have done a great job. It's a great thing to see such films in the Arab world, and I regret not watching it in the theater. Thank you Egypt.

BORING

[youssef_elgebali · 2/10 · 4 May 2018]

I had high hopes that this would be an amazing movie but I was let down by how boring it was.

A view of the film

[jiannafarraj · 8/10 · 16 February 2022]

At first I was reluctant to watch the movie, thinking that it'll reflect the wrongful messages to the west. Giving the impression of " the orientalists world" viewed by the west. Indeed, it shows the progressive thinking of this man, ready to face his fears and past, abusive father and his love to Michael Jackson into his character and faith. Telling the story as a recitation and a narrative journal is brilliant, dealing with his psychological side, shifting the audience to walk through his experience and feel it as our own. Showing the liberal Egypt, that has dance clubs, youth having music classes in school, and the youth in love with the new upcoming pop culture that to some extent is perceived as taboo, which indeed reflects Egypt as the birth of music, cinema and liberalization in the Arabic world. The ending is absolutely amazing, the fact that he eventually reconciled with his father, and most importantly with himself, finding balance as a man of believe, and one who loves Michael Jackson. Amazing camera work, sound and lighting is absolutely magnificent. Recommend.

Abod

[abdulmalik_alrashidi · 1/10 · 12 March 2019]

Bad bad bad!!!!!! Very bad . Not worth watching i put my time in watching

very bad

[sala-almsodi · 26 April 2018]

Its no idea , very very bad. they must remove it from the internet

Hollow

[fredytadros · 16 October 2017]

I expected superior powerful message or performance .. i didn't find any . almost no scenes to react with

unfortunately another hollow messy movie like El Aslyeen with a very fake propagnda.

in my opinion a movie like Mawlana afford mu much better to us.