Miss Bala (2011)

After entering a beauty contest in Tijuana, a young woman witnesses drug-related murders and is forced to do the gang's bidding.

Director:

Gerardo Naranjo

Writers:

Mauricio Katz, Gerardo Naranjo

Stars:

Stephanie Sigman, Irene Azuela, Jose Yenque

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephanie Sigman	...	Laura Guerrero
Juan Carlos Galván	...	Arturo Guerrero
Noé Hernández	...	Lino Valdez
Irene Azuela	...	Jessica Verduzo
Javier Zaragoza	...	Ramón Guerrero
Lakshmi Picazo	...	Azucena 'Suzu' Ramos
Jose Yenque	...	Kike Cámara
James Russo	...	Jimmy
Leonor Vitorica	...	Luisa Janes
Gabriel Heads	...	Agent Bell
Hugo Márquez	...	Javi Fernández
Miguel Couturier	...	General Salomón Duarte
Eduardo Mendizábal	...	Quiño
Sergio Gómez Padilla	...	Parca
Felipe Morales	...	Tío

Storyline

At 23, Laura Guerro and her friend Suzu enter the Miss Baja pageant. Both qualify, and while Laura waits at a nightclub for Suzu to break away so they can go shopping, a heavily-armed drug gang murders drug enforcement officials there. Laura escapes unharmed but can't find Suzu, so the next day she looks for her; her dogged behavior brings her to the cartel's attention, and they force her to assist them as they menace her father and younger brother. Lino, the gang's leader, decides Laura should finish the pageant although her only interest is escape. Every day drags her deeper and corruption is pervasive. What alternative is there to death or prison?

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Plot Keywords:

woman in underwear | dress | tiara | runner up | general | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some brutal violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

9 September 2011 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Miss Bala: I vasilissa tis omorfias

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canana Films, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA), Eficine 226

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Laura Guerrero was loosely based on Mexican model and beauty queen, Laura Zúñiga. On December 22, 2008, Laura Zúñiga along with seven men were arrested for narco-trafficking ties in Zapopan, Jalisco.

User Reviews

Remarkable, gripping and worrying film

I'm an Englishman who has lived seven years in Mexico. I disagree completely with the previous review. I thought this was a remarkable film and scary in what, to me, appears to be a realistic, credible depiction of life in Tijuana. I thought the main actress was exceptional in the way she allows us to view the film through her eyes and shows her increasing trauma and dislocation as she is drawn more and more against her will into the dark world of organized crime, the police, the army and their overlaps. To me the film shows the terrible loss of innocence and the violence that is being perpetrated every day in Mexico against the Mexican people as exemplified and represented by the main character.