Rent Luxor (2020)

Haunted by past and present: meditative and mature character study in Egypt - Luxor review by PD

Writer-director Zeina Durra’s short but slow-burning film is a beautifully meditative, history-laden piece, one that asks us to consider how we reconcile our past experiences with our present state, and in turn how we wish our future to be.

Andrea Riseborough is pitch-perfect as the memory-haunted Hana; she's one who can decompress the present in the usual ways: rest, have a drink, commiserate with the friendly manager, even hook up with (and then avoid) a chatty American tourist, but on visiting Luxor’s temples and tombs, however, she feels the pull of past civilisations that struggled with life and death and sought to memorialise birth and rebirth. And when she runs into archaeologist and one-time lover Sultan (a suitably low-key Karim Saleh), their rekindling of a meaningful emotional and intellectual connection amid the beauty of ruins appeals to her past 'self' whilst at the same time bringing her reluctantly toward new choices.

Zelmira Gainza’s evocative location imagery is a bit predictable, whilst the soundtrack is an irritating distraction, but Durra is on solid ground in focusing on a psychological narrative in which the digging up of feelings is a gradual, contemplative journey, something sensed rather than made explicit. Riseborough is great at revealing her multi-layered personality, and her slow-walked reveal of a resilient woman’s vulnerabilities meshes well with Durra’s delicate attention to the antiquity and spiritual mystery around her. in a very modest, quiet mature way, this is impressive stuff.

Very slow and nothing much happens - Luxor review by MD

A depressed woman goes to Egypt and walks about a bit. She gets laid, gets drunk, cries a bit and sees a fortune teller. It's all beautifully shot among the antiquities, but it's painfully slow and lacking a story. About the most exciting part is when she changes her shirt from a pink one to a blue one half way through.

A love letter to Egypt - Luxor review by giantrolo

I absolutely loved this film! It had this feeling of love for Egypt just oozing out of every scene, and gave me as the viewer a truly fascinating visit to the country, with scenes that were bursting with history and heritage. You really did feel like you were there! The storytelling did really make you work to understand the story - definitely no spoon feeding here - but that was a beautiful experience in itself and you felt very immersed in the backstory, the current story and the future story waiting to be told. Andrea Riseborough was so perfect for this role - I really can't imagine anyone else playing it - and the entire cast were great. It gave me a real kick watching the credits to realise the archaeology professor was played by a real life archaeology professor! Highly recommended!