Midaq Alley

Rating:
Summary: A realistic film with realistic scenarios that people hide!
Review: I was amazed at how good this film is. One of the best to come from Mexico in a very long time. I was fortunate to buy a used copy for less than $10.00 from a local video store. Everyone I know wants to borrow it. I'm scared that I won't get it back. It's that good!

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Ive been wanting to see this film for over 3 years, and just yesterday I got a chance to see it. It is an example of great filmaking from Latin America. I recommend it

Rating:
Summary: Two words: Salma Hayek
Review: Let's face it. This film won 49 awards from Latin American film festivals (including 1995 Ariel award - the Mexican Oscar - for best movie) but never really got a big welcome on the American market, even after being shown at the Washington D.C. International Film Festival. Was it because, when it comes to this kind of romantic drama, American moviegoers had seen a lot better? This film was acclaimed for a good screenplay (based on the novel by an Egyptian Nobel prize winner) and its cast and crew deserved some credit for their efforts, but all for all, it did nothing but reminded me of a fabulous classic, 1959's "Imitation of Life" (with Lana Turner, Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner).... Anyway, now that Salma Hayek has worked her way to stardom, anybody who's interested in her stunning beauty wouldn't want to miss her debut as an actress in "Midaq Alley". That's fair, because she truly carried the film so well. Although Margarita Sanz also won some Best Actress awards, people would definitely tend to remember more of Alma than of Susanita -- or so I think.

Rating:
Summary: Soap Opera
Review: String together 10 episodes of a TV tearjerker, replace all the commercials with the word "cabron" repeated 50 times, sit back, drink a sixpack of Modelo Negro and enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: El Callejon de los Milagros
Review: The movie itself is a great mexican masterpiece, but avoid this DVD at all cost

It have none extra features, and the worst of all, you can't remove the english subtitles.... the aspect ratio is Full Screen and the audio is 2.0

I recommend this movie in a VHS rather than a DVD

(unfortunatelly the only dvd version of this movie, is this featureless DVD... grrr!)

Rating:
Summary: This masterpiece is my favorite movie ever...
Review: This film has not had the exposure it deserves, since it is truly a masterpiece, not only of Mexican film but of international film in general. It takes the idea of viewing one story from different perspectives to new heights, as we watch how ten different things can all be happening at once, without any of those involved realizing what is going on.

The film uses a technique that has now been copied ad nauseum, beginning each section with a title screen containing one character's name and then telling the "same" story from that character's perspective. But each of these perspectives is completely disconnected from the others and creates a set of snapshots of the life on Miracle Alley at one point in time.

Because each character is so different from the others (a middle-aged man in an unhappy marriage, a young woman struggling to survive in a heartless world, a wealthy but homely woman who doesn't fit into the society around her), the film gives a great overview of different types of people who probably do exist in Mexico today, all so very diverse. Could be an eye-opener for many American viewers who look at Mexicans as one big indistinct mass, since this film shows just how different the people living on one tiny street can be.

It truly is my favorite movie of all times (and I have seen a lot!), so I must recommend it.


Rating:
Summary: Superbly engaging and well-acted...Loved everything about it
Review: This movie is a perfect example of why I favor independent films over mainsttream ( Mindless and Plotless)ones. All the actors fit their roles wonderfully, and you cannot help but wonder the outcome of each of the character's choices. It demonstrates the fact that you don't need a lot of money to make a great, lasting-impression film. It's on the top of my movie list to buy.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent production, wonderful acting!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent production, wonderful acting!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: A Soap Opera with a big twist
Review: This movie was good, too soap operish for my taste, but enjoyed the twist, check it out..

3.5 stars...