Miss Bala [2011]

The depiction of the state of terror the drug cartels have procured in Mexico, particularly the northern region, the slang, the narco way of life, are all spot-on. The places, the look of the people, their accents, are not. How can we ask that Americans and Europeans portray our country and our people accurately if we can’t even do that ourselves? Mexico’s submission for the ‘Best Foreign Film’ Oscar has its tense moments of dread but, mostly, it’s just the same old, uneventful and overhyped drama. Newcomer Stephanie Sigman renders a decent performance, but nothing to get excited about. Even with these things against it, Miss Bala is a step up from Gerardo Naranjo’s previous film, the dismal Voy a Explotar.