I understand the basic idea of the plot came from The Name Of The Rose. But the location was moved to a splendid mosque in Cairo, and instead of even being filmed in a splendid mosque in Cairo, the movie was filmed in a splendid mosque in Istanbul. There's a saying in musical theater that after the play, nobody ever walked out the door humming the scenery. But you could enjoy this film just for the views inside the mosque. The architecture is stunning and the cameraman seems never unable to find a fresh shot in there. The acting, like the architecture, is on something of a grand scale. Most or all of the actors are no more Cairene than the mosque is; in fact, three of them are among the most highly regarded Arab actors of Israel.
The political message of the movie-- and it's no wonder the Egyptian government gave no support and no approval-- is that President Sisi has no respect for the separation of religion and state and is unfairly suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood. That may not be a message that will necessarily win the hearts of Westerners, but it's presented in a context full of personal power relationships and tense situations and dilemmas of loyalty that could appeal to any audience willing to leave politics aside.
The political message of the movie-- and it's no wonder the Egyptian government gave no support and no approval-- is that President Sisi has no respect for the separation of religion and state and is unfairly suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood. That may not be a message that will necessarily win the hearts of Westerners, but it's presented in a context full of personal power relationships and tense situations and dilemmas of loyalty that could appeal to any audience willing to leave politics aside.