MISS BALA (2012) *** Riveting drama about a young Mexican woman (sexy newcomer and Rosario Dawson doppelganger Stephanie Sigman in a fine big-screen debut) whose ambition to be a contestant in a beauty contest instead finds herself unavoidably thrust into a drug cartel's blood feud as an unwitting pawn and her inescapable predicament leads to dire life or death consequences. Based on a true account of the unending drug war South-of-the-Border and produced by actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna (and co-star James Russo as a corrupt DEA agent),novice filmmaker Gerardo Naranjo certainly has the cinematic chops as a director with some ingenious camera movements and eliciting a heartbreaking performance from his equally green partner-in-crime leading lady.

Good girl Laura Guerro and her friend Suzu enter and qualify for the Miss Baja pageant. Laura is waiting for Suzu at a nightclub when a drug gang breaks in to kill the drug enforcement cops. She escapes from the massacre and tries to find Suzu. She seeks help from a cop but he calls in a gang who kidnaps her. The gangleader takes an interest in her and makes her compete in the pageant. He kidnaps her father and little brother pulling her further into the crime family.

This is a wild crazy crime drama. This movie is nuts. One really feels for Laura. I wish she has a drug gang watchdog on her for the whole movie. She needs another person to build a relationship, have conversations and to interact with. Her character needs to show more struggle. Of course, the gang has her in complete control. The only way for her to show some spark is through some dialog with another person. That's the main thing missing here.

Some movies just feel like documentaries. This one would be a good companion piece to Sicario. Completely different point of view mind you (not to mention different crime area),but it would fit mood wise. Having said that, Sicario still is superior in many ways of course, but this has a lot of punches and it doesn't pull them.

You may not be familiar with practices in certain areas and how you should react or better yet not react to them. While it may sound logic to go to the cops, that's not always wise. Then again, there are also deals you cannot pass. Especially if the involve your life being threatened. A little bonus doesn't hurt anybody and the movie will not answer all the questions you'll have ... Just like real life then (if you live in a very bad area like that)