Amor a La Vuelta de La Esquina AKA Love Around the Corner (1985, Mexico) is a moody 91 minute NC17 flick that sticks to its heroine, prostitute Maria (lean and lovely Gabriela Roel), from its dark and gloomy start to freeze-frame finish. Along the way, director Alberto Cortes captures terrific night time imagery as Maria winds her way through a maze of gritty Mexico City night spots as well as some dingy clubs that she later visits in a costal beach town. With an assist from her sleek body, Maria lies, cheats and steals from most of the men in her life (boyfriends, customers) except for a truck driver, Julian (hunky Alonso Echanove), who had rescued her from a fall early in the film's opening moments. In other words, Maria is a rat unless Julian is around. When she's finally able to share some of her spoils with him, Maria becomes a surprisingly thoughtful creature and its here that her transformation lifts this tawdry tale up a few notches via its lovely shift in tone. Viewers should also get a kick out the film's use of some very '80s pop music selections, from a scene where Maria finds a stash of men's magazines as well as from an interior photo session or two using a Polaroid camera.
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