Even with the familiar trope of a fake kidnapping, director Amine Lakhnech, in his film The Fakenapping, manages to comment on serious themes such as greed, innocence, belonging, and parental relationships. The film offers an entertaining tale, with distinct and memorable characters, as it revolves around Sattam, a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man who tries to do right by everyone and fails on every front. His life takes a thrilling turn when he makes one wrong plan.
The biggest strength of The Fakenapping is its sardonic and absurdist humour. Sattam (Mohmad Dokhei) arranges for the kidnapping of his father, Suleiman (Abdulaziz Al Sokayreen), after he refuses to help him. Instead of being threatening, the kidnappers seek Suleiman’s validation for their haircuts, want him to join in prayers, and even dress him up in a bright red Michael Jordan jersey. Lakhnech uses a range of tools to foreground his comedy. Props and settings are used to create memorable comic moments.
The film offers convincing performances. At the centre of it all, Mohmad Dokhei as Sattam gives a performance that never fails to entertain the viewers. Dokhei tries to be brave for his daughter, to satisfy his mother, and to stand his ground by seeking help from his father, all by putting on different faces each time. As absurd as Sattam’s plot is, Dokhei’s earnest performance gives the story its weight. The film is also technically sound, using clever camera techniques to avoid being stale. Something as simple as looking into a safe is made interesting by the frame-within-a-frame technique.
While there are plot elements with very real stakes for the characters, The Fakenapping struggles to communicate those stakes clearly to the viewer. When Sattam is threatened by a loan shark to repay his dues, the tension rises organically. But when the loan shark is beaten down by Suleiman, who somehow finds strength he didn’t seem to possess earlier, the moment feels convenient. Certain storylines are only used to add weight to the plot, but are not given a proper closure. Sattam and his daughter are shown to share a strong bond, but his daughter vanishes after a point, only to return to extract sympathy from the audience. Sulieman’s daughter-in-law, who is expecting a child and worries about bringing it into what she considers an inept family, also disappears from the narrative. Such loose ends leave the viewers with frustrating questions.
At large, the film feels like an example of incomplete efforts, despite having great performances, memorable moments, and many positive elements.