Inside the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Day 3: Gerardo Naranjo’s Miss Bala

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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.

Eric Lavallée
Eric Lavalléehttps://www.ericlavallee.com
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). He is a Golden Globes Voter, member of the ICS (International Cinephile Society) and AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).

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