Director:

Amr Salama

Writers:

Amr Salama, Omar Khaled

Stars:

Basma, Amina Khalil, Ahmad El-Fishawi

Sheikh Jackson is the nickname given to Sheikh as a kid for loving the pop idol Michael Jackson.

The film concentrates on Sheikh as a grown man, now a devout imam (Ahmad Alfishawy) who tends to be praying all the time and demanding devout behaviour of his children, just as his father (Maged El Kedwany), shown in flashback demanded of him.

Didn’t Sheikh learn from his father’s mistakes? Sheikh is also upset that he cannot cry while praying and sees a female psychologist, the sex of which he objects to.

Salama’s film is all over the place, with no observable goal. He has put on centre a subject which western audiences are unfamiliar with and makes no attempt to make him likeable or connected to the audience. The influence of Jackson over Sheikh is also vague at best.

A few comical moments like watching the father pump weights in the gym like a world class bodybuilder helps elevate this otherwise sordid affair.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsijix35ORE