The line between fact and fiction can often be blurred in the process of adapting a true story into cinema. Some actors immerse themselves in the behavior and personality of their characters, but the lead of a project also gets special treatment from those seeking to support them and whatever ego is along for the ride. Portraying a beloved figure can further complicate the situation, erasing divisions between an actor and their part. Eagles of the Republic finds one man’s fortunes changing as he goes from having anything he wants to being forced to make difficult decisions with real repercussions.
George Fahmy (Fares Fares) is a very popular actor in Egypt, oozing charisma and coasting on a successful career. He soon realizes he’s in over his head when he’s cast as the venerated leader in a propaganda film, which demands a positive and very flattering portrayal and also puts him in the crosshairs of political operatives who want George to use his connections to surveil and report on dissidents. Navigating a fractured relationship with his son, George also begins an affair with Suzanne (Zineb Triki), the wife of the general supervising the production.
This marks the latest collaboration between Fares and filmmaker Tarik Saleh, who previously worked on The Nile Hilton Incident and Cairo Conspiracy. This film, considered the final chapter of a trilogy interrogating corruption and power in Egypt, is significantly different in tone from the religion-oriented thriller Cairo Conspiracy, inhabiting a more playful space as George waltzes through a city that very much feels like his own, only occasionally encountering consequences of his choices, which when they do present themselves invite a much darker shift. Despite the presence of cell phones, this film looks and feels as if it’s emerged from a time capsule, and without that technology there to provide clues to when it’s supposed to be set, it could be considered timeless and applicable to anytime in the past century or so.
Fares is a true talent who’s especially well-suited for this role, extremely comfortable in George’s skin and most impressive when it’s clear that he understands the gravity of what he’s done. He’s such a schmoozer and gets along well with everyone, but when he’s forced to go down a dark and difficult road, he doesn’t always respond in the best way, even if he keeps a smiling face on to maintain the appearance of calm. He’s magnetic and carries the film, supported well by a cast that includes both friends and foes, some of whose allegiances aren’t apparent and cause George to proceed without enough caution since he thinks he knows the extent of what’s going on but in truth does not.
Saleh’s latest film has much to say about the way that politics and society operate in Egypt, hardly a flattering or complimentary imagining. Fidelity to the regime is key above all, and George is very much a figurehead who can be easily manipulated for public perception purposes. But he’s hardly a true believer, and he’s in fact told at one point that he can easily sell something that shouldn’t be convincing because he’s such a good actor. This intersection of government and media is especially interesting since it shows how much both theoretically separate industries really do overlap, with George far from a star who uses his fame to take a stand or support something that actually means something to him. Eagles of the Republic, which references the so-called defenders of Egypt who attempt to forcibly recruit George for their cause, is a story about making choices and going along with what is, critiquing one nation while offering considerable food for thought about all structured civilization.
Movie Rating: 7/10
