Miss Bala

Directed by Gerardo Naranjo. Starring Stephanie Sigman, Irene Azuela, James Russo, Jose Yenque, Noe Hernandez, Miguel Couturier 15A cert, IFI, Dublin, 112 min

IT IS forgivable to feel a certain unease when viewing movies about drug wars in less wealthy parts of the planet. Are we taking a voyeuristic delight in the glamorised misfortune of others? Maybe so. However, this film from Gerardo Naranjo, director of the stylish, silly I'm Gonna Explode, is so sure of its singular tone that only a raving spoilsport could fail to applaud its brilliance.

The plot offers reminders of Maria Full of Grace, but Miss Balais more slippery in its moral stance and more original in its storytelling.

Stephanie Sigman is troublingly blank as Laura Guerrero, a Mexican woman who, while preparing for a beauty contest, gets inveigled into acting as a courier for drug smugglers. Following a brilliantly staged massacre at a party, Laura talks to the police and, unaware how deep the corruption runs, is passed on to the perpetrators.

The leader of the gang persuades Laura to transport money across the border. Partly to facilitate the plan, partly as reward, he arranges for the pageant’s organisers to award her the regional prize. Various disasters ensue.

In its grim take on Mexican society, Miss Balarecalls the horrific depictions of fascist Chile in Pablo Larraín's sordid work. The film, however, also offers the viewer a succession of highly original action sequences. Employing long takes with handheld cameras, Naranjo follows his protagonist as the mayhem ensues just outside the frame or is craftily concealed by intervening structures. Through it all, Laura retains a stoicism that conceals her true feelings about the mission.

Some might find Miss Balaa little too evasive in its approach. But the steady accumulation of tension really sets the film apart. A true original.