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.
Review of Midaq Alley
