A widow gets resourceful when the ground shifts beneath her in the feisty ‘Calle Málaga’

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As people get older, they often find more joy in everyday things, particularly when faced with life’s challenges. Maria Angeles, a longtime resident of Tangier, Morocco, and a member of the city’s established Spanish community, is a prime example of this. The film “Calle Málaga” opens with Maria happily strolling through her neighborhood, warmly greeted by local shopkeepers, clearly content with her life.

While happily preparing for her daughter’s visit from Madrid – cooking and stocking up on groceries – Maria has no idea the trip will put everything she loves at risk. Her daughter, Clara, recently divorced and facing financial hardship, arrives with a shocking announcement: she’s planning to sell the family apartment, where Maria’s mother has lived for forty years. Clara believes it would be better for Maria to move to Spain and live near her grandchildren, or at least receive care in a Spanish-speaking assisted living facility.

The expression on Maura’s face—her most skilled acting technique—hints at complex and unhappy feelings about growing old.

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Maryam Touzani’s latest film, “Calle Málaga,” follows Maria as she faces having to move from her home. It’s a sensitive story, much like Touzani’s previous film, “The Blue Caftan,” but it’s also more than just a quiet acceptance of change. While Maria initially agrees to stay at a senior center while her daughter sorts through her belongings, she secretly plans to reclaim her independence – making the film a subtle yet powerful story of defiance and a touching emotional journey.

If you don’t dwell on the slightly improbable plot of Touzani’s heartwarming film, it offers a refreshing take on aging, avoiding the condescension often found in similar stories (like last year’s acclaimed “Familiar Touch”). Maria cleverly takes over her own apartment while it’s being sold, recovering cherished possessions from a stern but softening antiques dealer (played perfectly by Ahmed Boulane) and finding a resourceful way to make money with the help of local children who adore her. This situation unexpectedly leads to a new romance and allows Maria to have honest and revealing conversations with her old friend, Josefa (María Alfonsa Rosso).

Maura perfectly embodies Maria’s renewed energy and sensuality – it’s hard to picture anyone else capturing it with such captivating force, thanks to her expressive eyes. The director, Touzani, wisely lets Maura lead, trusting her to convey both the lightness and depth of the story, even if the film’s style feels a bit simple at times.

I can’t shake the feeling that Maria’s story is going to stay with me for a while. From the very beginning, when we first meet Clara, it’s clear this isn’t going to be a simple story with everything neatly wrapped up. And it doesn’t offer that. Instead, we’re left with this beautiful, yet bittersweet, image of Maria trying to break free. It’s like one of Touzani’s rose petals – even when it’s detached and scattered, it still holds a fragile beauty, just like so much of life.

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2026-02-13 23:33