Film
Review by Kam Williams
Gina
Rodriguez Plays Kidnap Victim in Tijuana Action Thriller
Gloria
(Gina
Rodriguez)
is a Hollywood makeup artist sorely in need of a break from her
abusive boss. The straw that broke the camel's back came the day he
condescendingly responded to her resourcefulness with the insulting,
“Honey, we're not paying you to think.”
So,
on her way out the door, Gloria stole
a couple of bags of cosmetics for her lifelong friend, Suzu
(Cristina Rodlo), who is about to enter the Miss Baja beauty contest.
Suzu
still lives south of the border in their hometown of Tijuana with her
little brother, Chava (Sebastian Cano).
Not
long after arriving, the BFFs head out to a disco to attend a party
sponsored by the pageant. But the two are soon separated when a
gunfight breaks out between the police and La Estrella, a drug cartel
led by the bloodthirsty Lino Esperanza (Ismael
Cruz Cordova).
Gloria
ends up in the maniacal mobster's clutches, and is unwittingly duped
into blowing up a DEA safe house with three agents inside. She's
subsequently apprehended by Agent Brian Reich (Matt Lauria) who
doesn't believe a word of her improbable alibi.
He
forces Gloria to prove her innocence by infiltrating Lino's gang in
order to help the U.S. government bring down the vicious crime
syndicate. Of course, that's easier said than done since she's a
beautician unschooled in undercover detective work.
That's
the captivating premise established at the outset of Miss Bala, a
frenetically-paced remake of the
2011 Mexican action thriller of the same name. The film was directed
by Catherine Hardwicke whose adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's vampire
romance novel Twilight netted around $400 million at the box office.
Here,
Hardwicke has crafted a compelling cross of Taken (2008) and Miss
Congeniality (2000). The movie's relentless sense of urgency is
reminiscent of the former, while the protagonist's grudging
participation in a beauty pageant is similar to Sandra Bullock's
fish-out-of-water performance in the latter.
A
two-fisted tale of female empowerment featuring a riveting roller
coaster ride you'll never forget!
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated
PG-13
for violence, profanity, sexuality, drug use and mature themes
In
English and Spanish with subtitles
Running
time: 104 minutes
Production
Companies: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Canana Films / Misher Films
Distributor:
Columbia Pictures
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