Cannes can be both boon and burden to filmmakers. A positive reception can see your career move forward in leaps and bounds, while a thumbs down from the critical Croisette faithful can serve as a major setback. For new rising filmmakers, the risk is even greater but for Mexican helmer Gerardo Naranjo his first visit to France will be a memorable one.
Playing to strong reviews and even bigger word of mouth, “Miss Bala” was one of the most talked about entries in the Un Certain Regard slate at Cannes this year. Starring Stephanie Sigman and Noe Hernandez, the film follows the story of a young beauty pageant contestant (Sigman) who becomes drawn into and eventually trapped in Mexico’s criminal underground. It’s a great piece of kinetic filmmaking from Naranjo who not only coneys the unforgiving violence of the Mexican drug wars but also the complex psychology on all sides that has let it reach such unprecedented levels of bloodshed. It was one of the surprise highlights of Cannes this year, and no surprise that Fox International plans to build on that buzz by giving it a U.S. release. The trailer does a great job of establishing the tenor and tone of the film without giving much away at all and we definitely urge you to track it down should it hit your town (and check out our in depth review right here).
No word on an exact date yet, but if you’re at TIFF next month, you can check it out there. Trailer below.
Can\’t wait for this.
This looks sweet. I really hope this comes to theaters near me, it would suck to have to wait for the DVD.
Actually, Naranjo\’s debut Drama/Mex premiered at Cannes. It played at the Semaine de la Critique.
You can find it on DVD (IFC) and probably many instant streaming services.
Two weeks \’till Miss Bala hits Mexican cinemas.