Every generation needs a road trip epic, and for the twenty-something westernised Arab expat, From A to B certainly fits the bill.
The brainchild of Emirati director Ali Mustafa, this fast-paced film is rife with cutting, witty dialogue, thoughtful characterisations and deliciously nuanced backstories that will have you invested in no time.
The film kicks off with the knowledge that the three leads, who are the heart and soul of the production, grew up together in Abu Dhabi before their best friend, Hady, died in a 2006 Israeli raid over Beirut and they lost touch.
Ramy (Shadi Al Fons), the Egyptian funny guy, has a pet hamster named Grendizer that he sings Amr Diab songs to when he’s not walking his mum’s chihuahua, Biscuit. He’s a “bedroom blogger” who still lives at home and is obsessed with his Twitter follower count. His character is aptly introduced to us while filming a gritty political vlog calling for a people’s revolution only to be interrupted by his mother bursting into his room and telling him to come say hi to their guests.
Yousuf (Fahad Al Butairi), who prefers to be called “Jay” (something that reverses by the time the movie ends), is the closest thing to the “bad boy” of the group with his reputation as a ladies man and his fierce desire to be independent. A son of divorce, the Saudi-Irish DJ lives alone in a bachelor pad. He has a mother in Ireland he doesn’t keep in touch with, and a displeased father in Riyadh who transfers him money every month to keep him floating.
Finally, there’s Omar (Fadi Rifaai), the brooding Syrian protagonist, who doesn’t keep in touch with his ambassador father, and carries guilt for the unfinished business left between himself and his dead best friend. It quickly becomes apparent that Omar and Hady were caught up in a messy love triangle with Omar’s wife, Arwa, who’s heavily pregnant. Before Hady was killed, Omar turned down a conciliatory road trip proposed by him and still blames himself for the way the cards fell shortly after.
Omar, wanting to clear his conscience after falling off the grid and failing to attend Hady’s funeral, tries to make amends with Ramy and Yousuf five years later. The three reluctantly set off on a road trip to Beirut six days before Hady’s birthday, with the end goal of visiting his grave.
As the bantering boys drive the “scenic” route through Saudi, Jordan and Syria — picking up people along the way — a series of hilarious, and sometimes starkly eye-opening events take place that force them to rebuild their bond and reevaluate their priorities.
There are heart-wrenching moments, too, with faint illusions to self-medicating through substance abuse, and a general sense of confusion-riddled identity crises among the three leads. We learn what each character fears, and what they desire. Ramy, whose father has died, wants to be a citizen journalist and gain independence from his mother. Yousuf wants to live freely and authentically without outside help, while still finding a way to reconnect with his family. Omar wants to let go of his tortured past and make things work with his wife.
The character growth within the film is thus essential, and thankfully well-done. The poignant life lessons tucked in between scenes never seem preachy or overbearing, but relatable. There is one especially heavy and politically-charged scene where the group stumbles upon people identifying their dead in Syria, and are then captured in a small room where they are interrogated and, eventually, tasked with going home to spread what they saw in the war-torn country. It’s no surprise, then, that they come out of their trip forever changed. The fact that Yousuf, who initially wanted to be known by the Americanised nickname “Jay”, was back to preferring his given name by the end of the film, was a particularly powerful indication of it.
“It’s not the destination — it’s the time we spend together on the road,” Omar recalls Hady saying. But the destination of their trip seemed just as cathartic as anything else. Certainly, by the time the boys reach Hady’s grave in Beirut and are able to say their goodbyes, it feels like we’ve spent a significant slice of a lifetime with them — and we’re more than glad to have been a part of the ride.
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From A to B premiered on Thursday, the opening night of Abu Dhabi Film Festival, at Emirates Palace. It’s set to release in the UAE and in the region on January 8.
