A would-be beauty queen finds herself embroiled in a violent gang war in director Gerardo Naranjos Miss Bala.
Imagine a dystopian city where nobody can be trusted.
Where war perpetually rages, as law and order teeters on collapse.
The script, by contrast, is so minimal to almost be nonexistent.
All the other characters in the film are resolutely two-dimensional.
This is great as an over-arching message, but a little disatisfying from a dramatic standpoint.
None of this is to say thatMiss Balais a bad film.
Skimpy though the plot and characters are, it remains a staggering piece of movie making.
The camera hunkers down with her, recording every twitch of fear and tinkle of splintered glass.
Miss Bala, therefore, is a one-of-a-kind action thriller with an arthouse tone.
Rating:
4 out of 5
