In director Jorge Fons’ transposition of the Naguib Mahfousz novel from Cairo to Mexico City, the lives and loves of local cantina owner Don Ru (Ernesto Gómez Cruz), his family, neighbors, and patrons are movingly interwoven, from Don Ru’s infatuation with a male clerk (Esteban Soberanes) to the obsession of a barber (Bruno Bichir) for a beautiful prostitute (Salam Hayek). Acclaimed effort co-stars Margarita Sanz, María Rojo, Delia Casanova, Claudio Obregón. 140 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: Spanish; Subtitles: English. In Spanish with English subtitles.
