Movie review: 'The Square,' 3.5 stars

"The Square" is a movie of the moment.

In Egypt, documentarian Jehane Noujaim followed the story of that country's revolution over the course of nearly 21/2 years, from the first protest in Tahrir Square circa 2011 through the overthrowing of President Mohammed Morsi in June.

But this isn't a mere chronicle of current events. It's a work imbued with great emotional truths, depicting the joy and despair of life on history's front lines, as seen through the multimedia prism that so defines the world today.

"The Square" depicts the herculean task of affecting meaningful change by introducing us to some of the heroic men and women at the center of this effort.

The central figures include a young idealist named Ahmed Hassan and his friend Magdy Ashour, who is in the Muslim Brotherhood. Actor Khalid Abdalla ("The Kite Runner"), a native of Scotland, returns to his ancestral home to aid the revolution.

We witness violent skirmishes and ebullient celebrations, impassioned debates and moments of profound introspection. Noujaim's camera weaves its way through this world as a character of its own, illuminating the magnitude of this struggle.

A lesser movie might have been content with showcasing the revolutionaries' initial victory of removing Hosni Mubarak from power, but Noujaim stayed with the story, returning to Egypt multiple times in a bid to capture the lightning-fast currents of history.

The fruit of her efforts is a movie that shows more than just simple victories: It's the story of the hard, still ongoing work that goes into what Hassan calls the changing of the nation's conscience.

The Square
Documentary by Jehane Noujaim
Not Rated
Playing at Film Forum