Popnography
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Out reports from the 2011 New York Film Festival on the forthcoming indie films you won't want to miss.
Eniak Martinez (Miss Bala)
Miss Bala (dir. Gerardo Naranjo)
Miss Congeniality this is not. Instead of using typical pageant cattiness as fuel for the fire, Miss Bala addresses the rampant violence and corruption wrought by the drug trade in Mexico, in this case the state of Baja California. (The title references the Spanish word for "bullet.") Told from the perspective of beauty queen hopeful Laura Guerrero (an astonishing Stephanie Sigman), the film begins lightheartedly when Laura and gal-pal Suzu travel together to compete in the Miss Baja pageant. But things go extremely downhill almost immediately after both women are accepted as contenders.
Later that night, Suzu and Laura are separated at a nightclub right before the lights go out and gunmen open fire into the crowd. (The scene is a first taste of the unsettling chaos that will ensue.) Laura escapes and wanders the streets of Baja, asking around for her friend. It soon becomes apparent that Suzu's disappear has political- and drug-related motives. Mistaking the local police as potential help, Laura takes a ride with a cop who claims to know what happened to Suzu. But as the car stops at its destination, Laura is taken captive by Lino (Noe Hernandez), boss of the group responsible for the mass nightclub killings.
When Laura mentions that she and Suzu were competing in Miss Baja, Lino enters her into the pageant and fixes it in her favor, while also forcing her into a series of deadly assignments that involve an ongoing drug war. She is running on the adrenaline of fear, paraded in front of audiences in a bikini, manhandled, and driven to unknown locations in jeeps. The long, uncut shots of elaborately staged shoot-outs and pageant numbers are technically demanding and skillfully executed. Miss Bala is not the glamorous beauty-queen drama we're used to. But watching Laura simlutaneously perform in the worlds of extreme femininity and gruesome violence is truly harrowing and engrossing.
Miss Bala was shown this past weekend at the New York Film Festival. It will premiere in New York City and Los Angeles on December 30.
--MIKE BERLIN
Previously > Getting Picky: NYFF 2011's Carnage
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
39 male celebs who did full frontal scenes
June 05 2024 9:37 AM
38 LGBTQ+ celebs you can follow on OnlyFans
July 23 2024 2:33 PM
28 actors who showed bare ass in movies & TV shows
May 22 2024 5:21 PM
These pics prove that Maluma is still our supreme thirst trap king
May 22 2024 6:29 PM
26 LGBTQ+ reality dating shows & where to watch them
July 03 2024 4:21 PM
18 times male celebrities had to say they weren't gay
June 21 2024 2:58 PM
15 queens who quit or retired from drag after 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
July 09 2024 11:33 AM
15 Unforgettable Gay Kissing Scenes From TV & Movies
February 14 2024 10:20 AM
45 steamy celebrity Calvin Klein ads we'll always be thirsty for
June 18 2024 4:45 PM
Here's how long each Pit Crew hunk has been on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
February 09 2024 2:16 PM
Latest Stories
Give Benedict a male love interest in 'Bridgerton' season 4, you cowards!
July 23 2024 4:52 PM
All the 'Drag Race' queens on OnlyFans (& what they're showing)
July 23 2024 4:19 PM
MUNA's Katie Gavin is officially in her solo era, releases first single
July 23 2024 1:28 PM
Want to see Tessa's Testicles? 'Global All Stars' queen is now on OF
July 23 2024 11:23 AM
87 LGBTQ+ athletes we'll be rooting for at the 2024 Olympics
July 23 2024 11:01 AM
Here's why fans think Lady Gaga will perform at the 2024 Paris Olympics
July 22 2024 3:34 PM
Tom Daley shows off how sturdy his Olympic Village bed is
July 22 2024 3:19 PM
That epic, queer 'House of the Dragon' kiss wasn't scripted
July 22 2024 3:10 PM
Oil up! Our fave shirtless Olympic flag bearer confirms he's headed to Paris
July 22 2024 1:44 PM
Charli XCX declares Kamala Harris IS brat & our next President's campaign agrees
July 22 2024 1:13 PM
Homophobes are mad about 'Love Island USA' stars Aaron & Rob's bromance
July 22 2024 12:23 PM