O Beco dos Milagres

This story demonstrates the intertwined and tragic minutia of common folks told in a dramatic and realistic format. The ensemble cast members are at ease with one another as they display acts of beauty and brutality. The theme of love unfolds from the neophyte, to the jaded, to the unabashed. The actors appear natural and believable (unlike some Latin "novelas"), developing their characters in a seamless and effortless fashion. The devotion to cultural stereotypes only lends credibility to the story's environment and development. The attention to detail (Susanita's teeth for example); make the characters as believable and endearing as any in recent memory. This movie is a brilliant look at human tragedy. Watching it with someone you love only makes it more moving and poignant. Excellent!!!

The movie Midaq Alley follows different characters to show everyday life for a small community in Mexico while the viewer sees the same story from a different perspective. I think the same scene placed at the beginning of each synopsis that shows some older men playing dominoes in Don Ru's cantina is symbolic because it is representative of an ordinary day and also shows how people in the community gather together and share stories and get to know one another. I feel that it represents the culture in Mexico and emphasizes how everyone looks out for one another, like how Ubaldo looks out for Eusebia's sadness and how Dona Cata looks out for Susanita's feelings, and also how Abel looks out for Chava's well being. By making this scene the establishing shot for each time the viewer sees a different point of view begin, the director is trying to portray how significant gathering for a game of Dominos in the cantina is in the daily lives of those in Midaq Alley. There are also some street scenes where it seems everyone knows one another. I wonder if it is a custom to be so close to neighbors and care for them like family, or if it has to do with the small size of their community. I was not really surprised that the ending was not extremely dramatic. I think it was very fitting to leave things the way they were because the movie was a portrayal of everyday life. I feel that the scenes of the men playing Dominos at Don Ru's cantina are the most important scenes of the film because it tells the viewer that although the characters presented have complex lives, the actions they take to reach their individual happiness are mundane when you take a look at the bigger picture, especially when you realize the men playing dominoes are older and have gone through many life experiences, perhaps they are trying to tell us to relax and not take life so seriously.

Midaq Alley is the best foreign movie of 1995. The movie take place in Mexico's Downtown in a street named: " Midaq Alley". Basically the film show us the stories of three people from that neighborhood.

Mr Ru whom after 30 tears of marriage is feeling homosexual falling in love with a young guy the same age as his son, making his wife's life miserable.

Susanita and old lady whom never been married and doesn't know what is love, finally she falls for someone not very honest. The other one is Alma , played for Salma Hayek a young, beautiful virgin girl whom is interested in everything about sex and drugs. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. It's worth the money!!

This film was not made for Americans, or even with the thought of marketing outside the USA. Just like Hollywood remakes will redo a story for the US, this took a story written for Cairo and transplanted it to Mexico City without a trace of the original setting. It is framed and acted much like a stage play, and the focus is on the people. It's painful to watch at times, because the story grinds your nose against stories of people who are getting through some unpleasant times in some unpleasant ways and the pace does not let you escape - it is clear they want you to endure something of what the characters are going through. The acting is generally good, there are convincing portraits of a half dozen main characters and the supports aren't bad. Yep, the overall ending is predictable, but not unbelievable and a few of the side stories might surprise you along the way.

I watched the DVD version. It has no extras or options. You get dialog in Spanish, English subtitles, in 4:3 format - no choices. Sound is stereo, color is ok and picture is competent.

This is a very interesting film. The three stories in the film are connected in some way, and yet not completely connected. The first story explores the issue of homosexuality, which I think is a brave idea in a country that is quite religious. The film is beautifully shot, and the locations seem realistic and reflect the daily life of the people.