In a departure film of sorts for the director who gave us I’m Going To Explode and Drama/Mex, Gerardo Naranjo makes the zone/border that separates California from Mexico come across as Afghanistan. Not sure how close he sticks to the original biographical aspects of a heroine that essentially becomes a trafficked, bargaining chip in a messy war between the feds and drug gangs near and around Tijuana. With an EZ Pass ease, Miss Bala sprawls every which way, meaning points A to point B are totally unpredictable and the camera tracks actress Stephanie Sigman as if she were a parcel. Naranjo’s whirlwind tour of the network might be an exceptionally rare account — but somewhere it feels totally plausible despite there being no equivalent to bathroom breaks. Last night’s warm reception is a good indication of the film’s post-Cannes life. Here’s some footage of the world premiere of the Un Certain Regard selected film.
"Ron and I wanted to make a film that looked at what it means to be an outsider and we wanted to explore what it takes to reach out to someone whose life is very removed from your own."
