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54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very compelling story perfectly set in Mexico City., June 25, 1999
I saw "El Callejon de los Milagros" (orginal title of the movie) two years ago in Mexico City. It is extremely well-acted by its cast which includes Salma Hayak who since then of course has become a star in the U.S., though she has never had a vehicle here like "El Callejon de los Milagros" that really showed her acting prowess along with her physical beauty. The movie, though, is really about great ensemble acting that tells four or five separate but somehow inter-related stories set on a street in the working class barrio of Mexico City known there as Tepito. The characters, especially the young guys, have the delicious accent of proletarian Mexico City, and use all the slang and idiomatic expressions. It may be hard to understand for those who haven't spent time in Mexico City, but the sub-titles probably help a lot. The movie touches on themes like homosexuality, machismo, poverty, the poignant fears and desires of a single lady in her late forties, and features some of Mexico's best actors, along with Hayak. I guess the movie is not for the faint of heart, since it unflinchingly looks at prostitution and homosexuality in Mexico City, but always shows choices made by characters in all their complexity. We are looking at very human, fallible people confronting their sexuality, their hopes and dreams, and making choices, sometimes disastrous choices, in hopes of escaping the economic and social limitations that constrict the life-choice options for those living in a poor neighborhood like the proletariat barrio where the "Callejon de los Milagros" is set. It is a fascinating look at life in Mexico City, very convincing and engrossing. It really should have been given a big advertising push by Miramax so that it could have had the large audience it deserves. Too bad, because U.S. audiences would surely have enjoyed it, and those of us familiar with the setting in Mexico City doubly love it because it so perfectly captures the language and mores of the people who live in "el Callejon de los Milagros".
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well told story, April 7, 2002
This review is from: Midaq Alley (DVD)
Beginning with a game of dominoes in a Mexico City cantina, we are introduced to the people who frequent this neighborhood bar and then to their families, and the extended family of their poor neighborhood, ironically known as Midaq Alley or Callejon de los Milagros. We watch helplessly as a series of events unfold drawing in other characters and changing their lives forever. As the film progresses, this same game of dominoes begins again and again. Each time, we see how the same basic sequence of events unfold through the eyes of a different set of characters and and how their lives are changed forever. It's as though the game of dominoes is a metaphor for life. At some level each life touches another and determines what will happens to the other characters. A decision taken by one character limits and directs the choices of the others. Not having had the advantage of reading the novel in advance of renting the movie, I did not have a preconceived notion of how the characters should behave, or how they stacked up against the book. Generally the translation of a novel into a movie is sketchy at best. However, taken at face value Midaq Alley works very well on film. The plot is strong and the characters are well defined. What appears to be a slight nuance in one sequence becomes the obvious catalyst that motivates a character in a later sequence. The whole effect ties the characters together as an extended family, a neighborhood, a nation, and finally as archetypes for the human experience. I recommend Midaq Alley as the best type of "art film" -- one that serves as a catalyst for thought and discussion.
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41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent production, wonderful acting!, January 6, 2000
This review is from: Midaq Alley (DVD)
This movie is based on an arabian novel called "Midaq Alley" which is the title for the movie in English. In Mexico (where it was produced), it was called "El Callejon de los Milagros" ("Miracle Alley") which is a real alley in Mexico City's downtown. It details the lives of several charachters of the movie in a format similar to the one used in GO and somewhat like the one used in Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run). A young Mexico City late teens girl whose mother is a tarot palm reader, an opportunist bartender, a sexually undecided bar owner, and many other charachters that may be seen in any downtown. The story is full of real life situations while adding to it a sufficient dose of laughter, sarcasm and ingenuity. Though not representative of what all of Mexico is (it mainly represents low income downtown Mexico City charachters), it is a very good option for learning a bit more of the mixed Idiosyncrasies (Spanish, European, Moorish, Sephardic Jew, Nahuatl, Zapotec, Mexica, Maya and Aztec) that conform a lot of the Mexican ethnicity.
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