Midaq Alley

Midaq Alley is a Mexican drama set in a working-class neighbourhood of Mexico City, where the lives of several residents intertwine around a cantina run by Don Ru. Among them are his son Chava, who studies English and dreams of leaving for the United States; Abel, a young barber in love with Alma, the beautiful daughter of a tarot reader; and Susanita, a landlady who longs for a husband. Don Ru, tired of his marriage to Eusebia, finds himself drawn in unexpected directions that unsettle his family. The film follows these characters as their hopes and frustrations play out against the routines of the alley.

The film is based on the novel by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, transposed from Cairo to Mexico City, and was adapted by screenwriter Vicente Leñero. Jorge Fons directed it, his second feature after Red Dawn in 1990. The large credited cast of 26 is led by Ernesto Gómez Cruz, María Rojo, Salma Hayek Pinault, Bruno Bichir, Delia Casanova and Margarita Sanz. It runs 140 minutes and was produced with support from Mexican film institutions.

Audiences have responded favourably to the film in the years since its release. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.3 out of 10 from around 3,600 votes, and on TMDB it also sits at 7.3 out of 10, from a smaller base of 74 votes. The agreement between the two suggests a steady, durable regard rather than a sharply divided response.