The Angel (2018 film)

Last updated

The Angel
The Angel.png
Film poster
Directed by Ariel Vromen
Written by
Based onThe Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel
by Uri Bar-Joseph
Produced by
  • Simon Istolainen
  • Zafrir Kochanovsky
  • Antoine Stioui
  • Matt O'Toole (Executive Producer)
  • Esther Hornstein (Co-Executive Producer)
Starring
Cinematography Terry Stacey
Edited byDanny Rafic
Music by Pinar Toprak
Production
companies
  • Adama Pictures
  • TTV Productions
  • Sumatra Films
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • 14 September 2018 (2018-09-14)
CountriesEgypt
Israel
United Kingdom
Languages
  • English
  • Arabic
  • Hebrew
Budget$12 million

The Angel is an Israeli spy thriller film directed by Ariel Vromen and starring Marwan Kenzari and Toby Kebbell among others. It is an adaptation of the non-fiction book The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel written by Uri Bar-Joseph. It is a fictional account of Ashraf Marwan, a high-ranking Egyptian official who became a double agent for both countries and helped achieve peace between the two.

Contents

Plot

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquers and occupies large areas of land, including the Sinai Peninsula which then (and now) belonged to Egypt.

On September 3, 1973, Ashraf Marwan meets Arab terrorists outside Rome International Airport, with a missile launcher that he smuggled into Italy in his suitcase. He tells the terrorists that he must leave immediately, as he is an Egyptian diplomat who cannot be discovered at the place of the attack, while the insurgents aim the launcher at a commercial airliner that is heading to Israel.

Three years earlier, in 1970, Ashraf lived and studied in London with his wife, Mona, the daughter of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and their son. Ashraf disagreed with Nasser on how to proceed in the Arab-Israeli conflict and suggested that Nasser prevent further bloodshed and try a diplomatic solution with Israel, with the United States as a peace broker. However, Nasser and his men fear this will lose them the support of the Soviet Union. Realising the Soviet Union is a declining power, Ashraf insists Egypt cut its ties with the Soviets. Nasser rebukes Ashraf and afterward urges Mona to divorce her husband, which Ashraf overhears.

Angry and embarrassed, Ashraf is further humiliated when he finds out that Nasser, on whom they are financially dependent, is having him followed when he goes out with friends, causing Mona to worry that Ashraf is having an affair with actress Diana Ellis. Frustrated, Ashraf decides to call the Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Michael Comay, to share important information. When the embassy refuses to connect him to Comay, Ashraf hangs up.

Soon after, President Nasser dies of a heart attack, and Ashraf and his family are recalled to Cairo. Vice President Anwar Sadat becomes the next president of Egypt. Ashraf wins Sadat's trust by uncovering high-level corruption within the Egyptian government and slowly begins to climb the political ladder, eventually becoming an important political player in Egypt. His family life suffers from his political career, although Ashraf finds time to read his son a bedtime story, The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Back in London, Mossad agents finally reach out to Ashraf, playing him a recording of his previous call to the Israeli embassy. Ashraf meets his Mossad handler, Alex, and begins to sell his country's secrets to the Israeli government. The information that Ashraf provides is initially reliable and Alex and Ashraf develop a mutual rapport, with Ashraf being codenamed "the Angel." Eventually, however, Ashraf warns the Israelis on two occasions that Egypt will launch a military invasion, which never comes to pass. This puts a severe strain on his relationship with Mossad, who starts doubting Ashraf's trustworthiness.

When Israel shoots down a Libyan commercial plane filled with civilians, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi wants vengeance, but Sadat is not willing to attack civilians. Knowing it would anger Gaddafi and the other Arab nations if Egypt did not support Libya, Ashraf came up with a ploy to stabilize the situation. He goes to Gaddafi to pledge Egypt's support but makes sure that their retaliatory attack is not successful.

Back at Rome International Airport on September 3, 1973, Ashraf removed a pin from the missile launcher before giving it to the terrorists, rendering it ineffective. When the Israeli commercial airliner takes off, the launcher does not fire. Italian authorities, having been notified about the terrorists by Ashraf, apprehended them.

Having regained Mossad's trust, Ashraf informs Alex and Mossad chief Zvi Zamir about an imminent Egyptian invasion of Israel on Yom Kippur. However, Israel dismisses the warning as yet another false alarm, like the previous two warnings. It is then revealed that this was Ashraf's plan all along, inspired by the fable of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Realizing that peace could only be achieved through diplomacy, not war, but also knowing that Israel would not agree to any peace talks while they had the military upper hand, Ashraf decided to pave the way for a short but successful surprise attack on Israel. A military stalemate between Israel and Egypt ensues in the Yom Kippur War, peace talks begin and the two countries finally broker a peace treaty which heralds a period of lasting peace and sees both Sadat and Menachem Begin receive the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time, Ashraf's marriage to Mona ends as Mona, kept in the dark about Ashraf's plan, believes his frequent trips abroad and continued friendship with Diana Ellis - in actuality part of a cover for his mission - confirm that he is having an affair.

Years later, Alex meets Ashraf, gifts him a copy of Aesop's Fables and informs him that he has recognized the Boy Who Cried Wolf strategy. Ashraf responds that no matter what happened, if peace came out of it, everyone is better off.

An epilogue states that Ashraf died mysteriously in 2007 when he fell from the balcony of his London flat. He is the only man to be recognized as a national hero in both Israel and Egypt.

Cast

Production

On 5 May 2017, it was announced that Marwan Kenzari was set to star in The Angel for director Ariel Vromen from a screenplay by David Arata, with Netflix distributing the film. [1]

The film began production in early July 2017 in London, [1] and also was shot elsewhere in the United Kingdom, as well as Bulgaria, and Morocco. [2] The rest of the cast was confirmed on 25 July 2017, with the film in principal production. [2]

Release

The film was released on 14 September 2018, although originally it was scheduled for 15 June 2018. [3]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 67% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anwar Sadat</span> President of Egypt from 1970 to 1981

Muhammad Anwar es-Sadat was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981. Sadat was a senior member of the Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk I in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and a close confidant of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, under whom he served as vice president twice and whom he succeeded as president in 1970. In 1978, Sadat and Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, signed a peace treaty in cooperation with United States President Jimmy Carter, for which they were recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muammar Gaddafi</span> Leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was a Libyan revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his assassination by rebel forces in 2011. He came to power through a military coup, first becoming Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the 'Brotherly Leader' of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011. Initially ideologically committed to Arab nationalism and Nasserism, Gaddafi later ruled according to his own Third International Theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation of Arab Republics</span> Confederation of Libya, Egypt and Syria (1972–1977)

The Federation of Arab Republics was an unsuccessful attempt by Muammar Gaddafi to merge Libya, Egypt and Syria in order to create a unified Arab state. Although approved by a referendum in each country on 1 September 1971, the three countries disagreed on the specific terms of the merger. The federation lasted from 1 January 1972 to 19 November 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdel Rahman Badawi</span> Egyptian academic, philosopher and poet (1917–2002)

Abdel Rahman Badawi was an Egyptian existentialist philosopher, professor of philosophy and poet. He has been called the "foremost master of Arab existentialism." He published more than 150 works, mostly rendering of Arabic philosophical manuscripts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahron Bregman</span> Former IDF member, Israeli political scientist

Ahron "Ronnie" Bregman is a UK-based political scientist of Israeli origin, as well as a writer and journalist, specialising on the Arab–Israeli conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian–Libyan War</span> Four-day border war in July 1977

The Egyptian–Libyan War, also known as the Four Day War, was a short border war fought between Libya and Egypt that lasted from 21 to 24 July 1977. The conflict stemmed from a deterioration in relations that had occurred between the two states after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had rebuffed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's entreaties to unify their countries and had pursued a peace settlement with Israel in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Soon thereafter Libya began sponsoring dissidents and assassination plots to undermine Sadat, and Egypt responded in kind to weaken Gaddafi. In early 1976 Gaddafi dispatched troops to the Egyptian frontier where they began clashing with border guards. Sadat responded by moving many troops to the area, while the Egyptian General Staff drew up plans for an invasion to depose Gaddafi.

Hermann Frederick Eilts was a United States Foreign Service Officer and diplomat. He served as an American ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, assisted Henry Kissinger's Mideast shuttle diplomacy effort, worked with Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat throughout the Camp David Accords, and dodged a Libyan hit team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eli Zeira</span> Israeli military intelligence officer (born 1928)

Eli Zeira is a former major general in the Israel Defense Forces. He was director of Aman, Israel's military intelligence, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He is most remembered for his ill-conceived prewar assessment that Egypt and Syria would not attack, despite intelligence to the contrary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashraf Marwan</span> Egyptian businessman and spy (1944–2007)

Mohammed Asraf Abu al-Wafa-Marwan, known as Ashraf Marwan, was an Egyptian official who worked as a spy for the Israeli Mossad.

<i>Sadat</i> (miniseries) 1983 film directed by Richard Michaels

Sadat is a 1983 American two-part, four-hour made-for-television biographical film based on the life and death of the late 3rd President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, starring Louis Gossett Jr. as Sadat and Madolyn Smith as Sadat's wife, Jehan. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures Television through Operation Prime Time. Gossett's performance earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egypt–Libya relations</span> Bilateral relations

After the neighboring countries of Egypt and Libya both gained independence in the early 1950s, Egypt–Libya relations were initially cooperative. Libya assisted Egypt in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Later, tensions arose due to Egypt's rapprochement with the west. Following the 1977 Egyptian–Libyan War, relations were suspended for twelve years. However, since 1989 relations have steadily improved. With the progressive lifting of UN and US sanctions on Libya from 2003 to 2008, the two countries have been working together to jointly develop their oil and natural gas industries.

The Arab Cold War was a political rivalry in the Arab world from the early 1950s to the late 1970s and a part of the wider Cold War. It is generally accepted that the beginning of the Arab Cold War is marked by the Egyptian revolution of 1952, which led to Gamal Abdel Nasser becoming president of Egypt in 1956. Thereafter, newly formed Arab republics, inspired by revolutionary secular nationalism and Nasser's Egypt, engaged in political rivalries with conservative traditionalist Arab monarchies, influenced by Saudi Arabia. The Iranian Revolution of 1979, and the ascension of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as leader of Iran, is widely seen as the end of this period of internal conflicts and rivalry. A new era of Arab-Iranian tensions followed, overshadowing the bitterness of intra-Arab strife.

Heba Selim was an Egyptian woman who worked as a spy for Mossad along with her fiancé Farouk Al-Fikki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Egypt under Anwar Sadat</span> Aspect of Egyptian history

The history of Egypt under Anwar Sadat covers the eleven year period of Egyptian history from Anwar Sadat's election as President of Egypt on 15 October 1970, following the death of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, to Sadat's assassination by Islamist fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981. Though presenting himself as a Nasserist during his predecessor's lifetime, upon becoming president, Sadat broke with many of the core tenets of the domestic and foreign policy ideology that had defined Egyptian politics since the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. In addition to abandoning many of Nasser's economic and political principles via the Infitah policy, Sadat ended Egypt's strategic partnership with the Soviet Union in favor of a new strategic relationship with the United States, initiated the peace process with the State of Israel in exchange for the evacuation of all Israeli military forces and settlers from Egyptian territory, and instituted a form of politics in Egypt that, whilst far removed from Egypt's pre-revolution democratic system, allowed for some multi-party representation in Egyptian politics. Sadat's tenure also witnessed a rise in governmental corruption, and a widening of the gulf between rich and poor, both of which would become hallmarks of the presidency of his successor, Hosni Mubarak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uri Bar-Joseph</span> Israeli professor of international relations (born 1949)

Uri Bar-Joseph is professor emeritus in the Department for International Relations of The School for Political Science at Haifa University. He specializes in national security, intelligence studies, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrective revolution (Egypt)</span> Reform introduced by Anwar Sadat in Egypt

The corrective revolution was a reform program launched on 15 May 1971 by President Anwar Sadat. It involved purging Nasserist members of the government and security forces, often considered pro-Soviet and left-wing, and drumming up popular support by presenting the takeover as a continuation of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, while at the same time radically changing track on issues of foreign policy, economy, and ideology. This includes a large shift in Egyptian diplomacy, building ties to the United States and Israel, while breaking from the USSR and, after signing the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, Egypt's subsequent suspension from the Arab League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EgyptAir Flight 321</span> 1976 aircraft hijacking

EgyptAir Flight 321 was a Cairo-Luxor Egyptian flight which was hijacked by three armed terrorists claiming to be from the Abd Al-Nasir Movement. After hijacking the aircraft, the terrorists demanded to be flown to Libya. The terrorists agreed to land in Luxor instead, after being persuaded that the aircraft needed to be refuelled. In Luxor, Sa'ka Forces stormed the aircraft and captured the hijackers. No passengers were injured during the operation. The terrorists were convicted and sentenced to hard labor for life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algeria–Egypt relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between Egypt and Algeria have been generally friendly throughout their history which dates back to Egypt's strong support for Ahmed Ben Bella's FLN during the Algerian War of Independence. This was later followed by Algeria's support for Egypt during the Six-Day War in 1967 and the October War in 1973. In addition both countries are member states of the Arab League while sharing similar views on major regional issues such as the Palestinian cause and the conflict in Sudan as well as the same vision on reforming the United Nations Security Council. Algeria has an embassy in Cairo, while Egypt has an embassy in Algiers. Both are members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Libya relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–Libya relations describes the relations between Israel and Libya. While there have been no formal diplomatic agreements between Israel and Libya since Libya's independence, there have been some notable events and developments in their relationship over the years. One of the main reasons for Libya's antagonism towards Israel has been its support for the Palestinian cause. Libya, under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, was a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and provided aid and support to various Palestinian militant groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami Sharaf</span> Egyptian military officer and politician (1929–2023)

Sami Sharaf was an Egyptian military officer who held various posts during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser. His public roles ended in May 1971 when he was arrested and then imprisoned by the Egyptian authorities under the presidency of Anwar Sadat.

References

  1. 1 2 Galuppo, Mia (4 May 2017). "Marwan Kenzari to Topline Netflix's Real-Life Spy Drama 'The Angel' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 Keslassy, Elsa (25 July 2017). "Netflix Boards Ariel Vromen's Spy Thriller 'The Angel' (Exclusive)". Variety . Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  3. ↑ Parfitt, Orlando (22 January 2018). "15 Netflix Original movies to look out for in 2018". Screen International . Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "The Angel". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 10 December 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.