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:

Gerardo Naranjo, Mauricio Katz

Stars:

Stephanie Sigman, Noé Hernández, Irene Azuela

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 Victorica	...	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:

female nudity | beauty pageant | drug war | audition | tijuana mexico | 

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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 USA

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

9 September 2011 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Kursun Kraliçesi

Filming Locations:

Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canana Films,Fox International Productions (FIP),Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Kiki Camara, the police officer who takes the phone from Laura, is based on Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (1947 - 1985). Camarena was a Mexican-born American agent for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration who was abducted, tortured and murdered whilst on assignment (working undercover) in Mexico.

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Connections

Remade as Miss Bala (2019)

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Soundtracks

Al Cien
Written by Emilio Kauderer

User Reviews

going along for the ride

There is one sequence in Miss Bala, where beauty queen wannabee Laura is taken from a torrid gun battle seamlessly into the beauty pageant where she changes and, still in shock, appears on stage with the other contestants. It is a moment of surreal genius. The film is a polemic, indicting the corruption and lack of moral fibre that infects Mexico's battle with drug gangs. Much has been made about the authenticity of the film's representation of that situation. Anyone looking to inform themselves of the socio-political situation with regard to Mexico and drugs should start somewhere other than a film. A film's first priority is to provide gripping narrative. Miss Bala has great moments, like the one described above, but at its heart it is the story of a woman caught up inadvertently in a dangerous, absurd situation. She is a victim from start to finish. Personally, I like the protagonist of a film to do something, rather than be continually done to. Laura is taken on a ride, and it is a helluva ride. But she is a passenger, and I wanted her to take the wheel at some point.

And for that reason, the film is visually inventive, occasionally comic and sometimes sad, but on the whole emotionally flat.