It doesn’t matter how many times I view it – Gerardo Naranjo’s Miss Bala is a provocative blast of unpredictable action-drama storytelling, a movie that truly takes ZERO prisoners. I would dream of spoiling ANY of this film, but I will warn: This is mean and nasty and ugly-gorgeous, with a dénouement that’s in no way shape or form “happy.” But the filmmaking is flat-out expert all throughout (director Naranjo needs to make another film ASAFP), the script is succinct and raw and thrillingly topical, the lead performance from the stunningly beautiful Stephanie Sigman is something of a tour de force (she’s soon to be seen in the newest Bond adventure, Spectre), and the various shoot-outs and action sequences are Mann-esque in their immediacy and violent consequences (the visceral sense of sudden violence in a film like in A Prophet also comes to mind). Centering on a Mexican beauty queen (Sigman) who is kidnapped and forced to become a drug smuggler for a South of the border cartel, this is a film that explores the insanely violent criminal underworld currently infesting Mexico, with an exceedingly sad (yet inevitable) final sequence that will send a chill down your spine, elevating the film beyond just another stylish shoot ’em up, albeit one with the unique beauty queen angle. Trust me…just check out the trailer which I’ll link below and try telling me that it doesn’t look beyond exciting and completely wild. I dare you. This is one that deserves a big audience. Available as a DVD, but sadly, no Blu-ray is yet available.
Podcasting Them Softly 