Midaq Alley

Transposing a novel of Egyptian street life by the Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz to contemporary Mexico, director Fons splits the story into four episodes each told from a separate point of view: from the macho bar owner who seemingly turns gay in an afternoon, to the beautiful Alma (Hayek, star of Robert Rodriguez's Desperado), whose impatience for love leads her quickly to the local brothel. Although everything teeters on the edge of soap opera, and the intertwining of the stories reveals few surprises, the film scores with its strong pacing and gutsy humour.