Wednesday July 8, 2009 (6:30pm)
The Grifters meets Arabian Nights in this 2007 Cannes crowd-pleaser from Algeria. Crafty con woman Madame Aldjeria employs a small roster of local beauties to swindle the objects of her clients' desire — but her last big score proves slightly bigger than initially expected. Paloma Delight lives up to its billing with a deft balance of realism, farce, and classic Scheherazadean guile. Most of the sleepers running through July's International Summer Screenings Program are worth a look, but Paloma's modern spin on the screwball schemer might prove the highlight of the run.
– Stephen Gossett