Miss Bala

This is a dramatic, creepy, draggingly real and touching good watch. Technically this movie impresses, with solid acting and location shooting, in a fresh way to make you feel a part of the struggles.

This Latin America film is low-key, being removed from Hollywood formulas like modern foreign cinematography, being unusual, distinct and intense. It's independence makes it, with memorable ground-shots and a patience requiring build up to the horror expected.

Miss Bala, tells the mostly believable tale of a beauty queen who survives an event shoot-out and thus has to evade the criminals, as she is the lobe eye-witness. Yanked into a world of crime, Stephanie Sigman survives, with little fight back, playing a usual male role in a drug war thriller.

I enjoyed the film but critics have diluted it's good points with negative criticism over the acting and premise of a modern world cinema piece.

One of the most exciting young talents around, the Mexican director Gerardo Naranjo approaches the hot-button topic of drug violence through the perspective of an unlikely, unwitting heroine: a Tijuana beauty pageant contestant (Stephanie Sigman) who stumbles into the path of ruthless cartel operatives and corrupt officials. Although inspired by a true story, Miss Bala avoids docudrama clichés and tabloid sensationalism, and instead evokes the pervasive climate of fear and confusion that has enveloped daily life in some increasingly lawless pockets of northern Mexico. Using long takes and fluid, precise camera work, Naranjo fashions a highly original thriller: an anguished and harrowing mood piece with an undertow of bleakly absurdist humor and moments of heart-stopping action. A Fox International Productions release.

I've been on a kick lately, on and off, of watching female action/revenge movies. So I happened on Miss Bala, the US movie not realizing that there was an earlier version. As I do, I tend to watch the original if I don't really know much about either. Thus, I found this version, the Mexican origional, and am glad I did.

For those who know about the drug trade in Mexico and some of the recent history, this movie no doubt drew inspiration from the arrest of Laura Zuniga (both in appearance and age). With that said, it is not the story Laura and is the story of the writers. And what a wonderful tale it is.

Without giving away much at all of the plot, we know that Laura Guerrero (Stephanie Sigman) is poor, but aspires to be a beauty queen. But unlike her friend, Azucena 'Suzu' Ramos (Lakshmi Picazo), Laura is more introverted. And the movie plays with that. Shots linger on her as she determines her wants, her needs, her next move. We feel the hesitations made while the next decision is processed and then decided upon, often not the right one. But what is the right one? In most cases, there is no better decision, just one that is less worse, but the less worse now could have longer, deeper implications. And we know she will be used as she is constantly surrounded by men of violence so no decision she makes could ever have a good result.

And my oh my how Sigman is able to use those moments. Gerardo Naranjo (the director) does a wonderful job of letting Sigman show the stress and trauma and PTSD as it effects somebody more introverted. It is lingering moments before she gets in a car, or before she changes her clothes, or while she is taking instructions. Naranjo also does a wonderful job of showing how somebody with those character traits does not need a backstory or justification, she just does what she thinks is best, being used in some way by everybody. But Naranjo also does a wonderful job of picking the shots, the framing, the color (or lack) of the shots. It is subtle, but so every present. But, as a slight spoiler, he does a wonderful job of not having her rapped as we expect she will be, early and often. Only this salacious temptation is not given into.

And the writing credit must also be recognized. Laura (Sigman), being introverted and traumatized, has a lack of words. Most of the narration is done by others talking to each other, or others giving her directions. And the story is clear, we know the characters without Laura telling us who they are. And we know the direction.

There is, of course, issues with the story. How could she be so naïve? Where did she get that passport? But while those issues are really important for deciding who wins at Canes, I felt it was not much of a detractor. And while I came into this movie expecting some kind of revenge or retribution (the memory of Laura Zuniga was triggered only after watching the ending), I was not disappointed. Yes, there is violence, but it is all around her, threatening her, punching holes in walls or seats or breaking windows, and never from her. It is as if she is the cause, just because she is there.

This movie is greatly recommended. There is quite a bit of violence, some slight nudity, and one non-graphic sex scene, so it is not for kids, or those under maybe 16/17. But if you don't like foreign films, or are not in the mood to read subtitles, just watch it so see Stephanie Sigman act.

8 out of 10

Beware of those viewers who really just want to see another Femme Nikita or something similar with non-stop unrealistic action led by a pretty babe.

Miss Bala isn't like that. (Dumb title though. Why not just keep Miss Baja? Are they afraid we gringos can't handle that name?) This film is about the way innocent Mexicans are caught up in the narco wars when they're just trying to live their own dreams.

In addition to the strong theme, the movie works because the story does more than carry thematic resonance -- there's suspense (which requires patience that the video-gaming generation may not be able to muster) and a very sympathetic central character. No, she's not always active, but she is reactive; she isn't just passively passing through this story. We care about her because she has a dream that has been sullied, because she cares about others (her friend Zuzu and her brother), and because, even after she's been abused, she's willing to take a risk at the end to prevent a murder.

Add all this to a well-shot movie with an unusual but effective mise-en-scenes in many of the beats and very scary bad guys, and, well, the sum of it all is a very strong movie.

By the way, there are no continuity lapses in the story and the finale makes sense -- but again, it's going to take some thinking. This movie is not an American action pic -- there's more thought behind it, and more thought needed to digest it.

Throughout the ongoing drug conflict in Mexico, multiple stories have come to the media attention without being entirely clear for everybody.

Miss Bala shows the connection between models and young attractive drug cartels, women that have been in some occasions being misjudged by a narrow idea of the current dynamics in many Mexican towns and cities.

Not a black and white context movie that accurately shows the many sides of a conflict and a war that has been reduced to a body count.

With a very good construction of characters, the film shows the inside and probably the reasons that make the drug conflict in Mexico one without an easy way out.

Highly recommended to get a wider idea of what people are going on right now, either as a civilian, a cop or a hit-man for a drug cartel.