El callejón de los milagros
Encyclopedia
El callejón de los milagros (The Alley of Miracles) is an award-winning 1994 Mexican film
adapted from the novel by Egyptian
writer Naguib Mahfouz
, written by Vicente Leñero
and directed by Jorge Fons
. The film deals with complex issues such as gay and lesbian related topics, the lower-middle class of Mexico City
, and the lives of many people.
The story is told from three perspectives: Don Ru (Ernesto Gómez Cruz
), the owner of a cantina where most of the men in the story gather to drink and play dominoes, Alma (Salma Hayek
), the beautiful girl of the neighborhood who dreams of passion, and Susanita (Margarita Sanz who won an Ariel Award
for this role), the owner of the apartment complex where Alma and many of the other characters live.
The film was critically acclaimed by international critics. It earned 11 Ariel Awards, including Best Picture and more than 49 international awards and nominations. Pan's Labyrinth
and El Callejón de los Milagros were named as the best Mexican films by IMDB.com and Entertainment Weekly
.
Nominations:
Berlin International Film Festival
Wins:
Nominations:
Nominations:
Havana Film Festival
Wins:
Paraguay Film Festival
Wins:
Toulouse Latin America Film Festival
Wins:
Nominations:
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
adapted from the novel by Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
writer Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie...
, written by Vicente Leñero
Vicente Leñero
Vicente Leñero Otero is a Mexican novelist, journalist, and playwright. He has written numerous books, stories, and plays, including a theatrical adaptation of Oscar Lewis's The Children of Sanchez. He was awarded the Premio Xavier Villaurrutia in 2001, and the following year he received the...
and directed by Jorge Fons
Jorge Fons
Jorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
. The film deals with complex issues such as gay and lesbian related topics, the lower-middle class of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, and the lives of many people.
The story is told from three perspectives: Don Ru (Ernesto Gómez Cruz
Ernesto Gómez Cruz
Ernesto Gómez Cruz is a prolific Mexican actor with more than 154 films.He has been nominated several times for the Ariel Award...
), the owner of a cantina where most of the men in the story gather to drink and play dominoes, Alma (Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
), the beautiful girl of the neighborhood who dreams of passion, and Susanita (Margarita Sanz who won an Ariel Award
Ariel Award
The Ariel is the Mexican Academy of Film Award. It has been awarded annually since 1947. The award recognizes excellence in motion picture making, such as acting, directing and screenwriting in Mexican cinema. It is considered the most prestigious award in the Mexican movie industry.- History :The...
for this role), the owner of the apartment complex where Alma and many of the other characters live.
The film was critically acclaimed by international critics. It earned 11 Ariel Awards, including Best Picture and more than 49 international awards and nominations. Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
and El Callejón de los Milagros were named as the best Mexican films by IMDB.com and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
Plot
The lives of the inhabitants of El Callejón de los Milagros, in downtown Mexico City, are as closely knitted as the threads of a rug. Fifty-something Don Ru owns a small "cantina" where all the men spend afternoons playing domino. He's tired of his longtime marriage with Eusebia and has recently discovered new feelings inside his heart. It does not matter if these feelings are not aimed to a young lady but to a young clerk after all, as one of the characters says, "it's platonic love". Don Ru's son Chava does not like what he sees and almost kills his father's lover. Running away from Don Ru's anger, Chava escapes to the USA with his friend Abel who is deeply in love with beautiful Alma, the daughter of Doña Cata, a tarot reader with bad luck in love. Susanita, the ugly landlady looking for love; Guicho, Don Ru's cynical employee, Maru, Don Fidel, Doña Flor, Zacarias and mean Jose Luis complete the cast of characters of this complex portrait of lives.Cast
- Ernesto Gómez CruzErnesto Gómez CruzErnesto Gómez Cruz is a prolific Mexican actor with more than 154 films.He has been nominated several times for the Ariel Award...
as Rutilio (Don Ru) - María RojoMaría RojoMaría de Lourdes Rojo e Incháustegui commonly known as María Rojo — — is a Mexican actress and politician. She is currently Senator of the Republic in the upper house of Mexican Congress....
as Doña Cata - Salma HayekSalma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
as Alma - Bruno BichirBruno BichirBruno Bichir is one of the most prolific actors of the contemporary cinema of Mexico as well as telenovelas and theater....
as Abel - Delia Casanova as Eusebia
- Margarita Sanz as Susanita
- Claudio Obregón as Don Fidel
- Juan Manuel Bernal as Chava
- Abel WoolrichAbel Woolrich-Acting career:His career spanned over thirty years of Mexican cinema, including films such as Mujeres salvajes and El callejón de los milagros; in addition, he had small parts in a few Hollywood movies such as Solo, The Mask of Zorro, Apocalypto, Ravenous and My Family.-Apocalypto and...
as Zacarías - Luis Felipe TovarLuis Felipe TovarLuis Felipe Tovar is a Mexican performance teacher and actor.He studied in the Theatre Fine Arts School of Mexico and in the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión de La Habana in Cuba....
as Güicho - Daniel Giménez Cacho as José Luis
- Gina Morett as Doña Flor
- Óscar Yoldi as Ubaldo El Poeta ("The poet")
- Esteban Soberanes as Jimy
- Eugenia Leñero as Tina
- Tiaré Scanda as Maru
Ariel Awards
Won:- Best Film
- Best Direction for Jorge FonsJorge FonsJorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
- Best Actress for Margarita Sanz
- Best Supporting Actor for Luis Felipe TovarLuis Felipe TovarLuis Felipe Tovar is a Mexican performance teacher and actor.He studied in the Theatre Fine Arts School of Mexico and in the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión de La Habana in Cuba....
- Best Costume Design for Jaime Ortiz
- Best Editing for Carlos Savage hijo
- Best Make-Up for Elvia Romero
- Best Original Music Theme or Song for Lucía Álvarez
- Best Original Score for Lucía Álvarez
- Best Production Design for Carlos Gutiérrez
- Best Screenplay for Vicente LeñeroVicente LeñeroVicente Leñero Otero is a Mexican novelist, journalist, and playwright. He has written numerous books, stories, and plays, including a theatrical adaptation of Oscar Lewis's The Children of Sanchez. He was awarded the Premio Xavier Villaurrutia in 2001, and the following year he received the...
Nominations:
- Best Actor for Ernesto Gómez CruzErnesto Gómez CruzErnesto Gómez Cruz is a prolific Mexican actor with more than 154 films.He has been nominated several times for the Ariel Award...
- Best Actor in a Minor Role for Óscar Yoldi
- Best Actress for Salma HayekSalma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
- Best Actress in a Minor Role for Delia Casanova
- Best Actress in a Minor Role for María RojoMaría RojoMaría de Lourdes Rojo e Incháustegui commonly known as María Rojo — — is a Mexican actress and politician. She is currently Senator of the Republic in the upper house of Mexican Congress....
- Best Cinematography for Carlos Marcovich
- Best Set Design for Carlos Gutiérrez
- Best Sound for David Baksht
- Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Giménez Cacho
- Best Supporting Actor for Esteban Soberanes
- Best Supporting Actress for Tiaré Scanda
Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
Wins:
- Special Mention for the exceptional narrative quality
Nominations:
- Golden Berlin Bear for Jorge Fons
Gramado Film Festival
Wins:- Best Director for Jorge FonsJorge FonsJorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
- Best Supporting Actress for Margarita Sanz
Nominations:
- Best Latin Film
Havana Film FestivalHavana Film FestivalThe Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Spanish-language filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, and in English as Festival of New Latinamerican Cinema of La Havana.The festival takes place...
Wins:
- Best Director for Jorge FonsJorge FonsJorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
- Best Screenplay for Vicente LeñeroVicente LeñeroVicente Leñero Otero is a Mexican novelist, journalist, and playwright. He has written numerous books, stories, and plays, including a theatrical adaptation of Oscar Lewis's The Children of Sanchez. He was awarded the Premio Xavier Villaurrutia in 2001, and the following year he received the...
- Grand Coral (First prize) for Jorge Fons
Paraguay Film FestivalParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
Wins:
- Best Actress
- Best Actor for Bruno BichirBruno BichirBruno Bichir is one of the most prolific actors of the contemporary cinema of Mexico as well as telenovelas and theater....
- Silver Spike for Jorge FonsJorge FonsJorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
Toulouse Latin America Film FestivalLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
Wins:
- Special Mention for the distribution of the film
Valladolid International Film Festival
Wins:- Best Actor for Bruno BichirBruno BichirBruno Bichir is one of the most prolific actors of the contemporary cinema of Mexico as well as telenovelas and theater....
- Silver Spike for Jorge FonsJorge FonsJorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
Nominations:
- Golden Spike for Jorge FonsJorge FonsJorge Fons Pérez is a Mexican film director.He belongs to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, Caridad , is still considered one of the best films in Mexican cinema...
External links
- El Callejón de los Milagros at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- El Callejón de los Milagros at Yahoo! Movies