REVIEW: Gritty Miss Bala Shows Some Leg, and Also Shows Restraint

Miss Bala is a fairly straightforward story, told in a reasonably straightforward way: A young woman in Mexico longs to win a beauty pageant as a way of making life better for herself, her father and her younger brother. But before she can make it to the first round, she runs afoul of a group of gangsters who use her — and her alluring but unassuming beauty — as a means to their own devious ends. Miss Bala — which was made by the young Mexican director Gerardo Naranjo and written by Naranjo and Mauricio Katz — is just stylish enough, a picture that doesn’t let flash get in the way of its storytelling. It sometimes leads us down some all-too-familiar corridors — if you’ve seen one Mexican drug cartel, you’ve seen ‘em all. But there’s always something to look for in the face of Stephanie Sigman as Laura Gerrerro, the young woman who one afternoon sneaks away from her family’s modest home, a stretchy “competition” dress stashed away in the plastic bag she’s carrying, in the hopes of making it past the first cut in the Miss Baja California pageant. Laura has a partner in this relatively innocent crime, her best friend Suzu. After the two earn the OK from the pageant’s organizer to return the next day, Suzu coaxes Laura out to a nightclub to celebrate. It turns out the club is filled with American DEA agents, the target of a bunch of masked baddies who storm the place. Laura survives the ambush, but she loses track of Suzu, and when she sets out to locate her friend, the thugs — led by a wily, perversely seductive fox named Lino (Noe Hernandez) — recognize her and press her into service in their war against those meddlesome law-enforcement officials. Laura, leggy and doe-eyed, tries to elude her new friends, but they keep finding her, enlisting her for one dangerous errand after another. Lino pulls some greasy strings to make her big dream come true, but the triumph is a false one, just a necessary step in Lino’s plan to snuff out a general who’s been instrumental in the big drug crackdown. Miss Bala (the title is a play on words, translating to “Miss Bullet”) is inspired by real events, but even within its unflinching grittiness, there’s something dreamlike — or perhaps nightmarelike — about it. Naranjo keeps the action tense but understated; instead of allowing explosions and shootouts to pile up, he rations them in taut doses. There’s nothing particularly daring about Miss Bala beyond its restraint, although in the contemporary movie climate, that’s probably daring enough by itself. And Sigman never overplays, either: Her character is an innocent caught in a web of cruelty and greed, and she behaves instinctively and sometimes irrationally. Laura keeps scrambling away from her sweaty, stubbly, scarred captors, but you can see she never gives a thought to where she might possibly run to — the creeps always have a way of reeling her back in. Still, Sigman doesn’t play Laura as a shrinking naif. There’s vitality and selfless valor in the way Laura lets her fear — not just for herself, but for her family — motivate her. Sigman’s enormous eyes have the capacity to take in the horrors that surround her character; she can’t help but see them. Yet Sigman doesn’t play Laura as a character undone by lost innocence. There’s a mournful undercurrent to Miss Bala; it isn’t exactly a movie where good triumphs over evil. But somehow Laura — after being abused and misused — keeps picking herself up and walking forward. Single-minded and purposeful, she won’t stop competing in her own internal pageant, even though she knows that damned crown is hard-won.

Downton Abbey Star Headed To Wager On Thrones Season 2

First Launched: October 12, 2011 6:33 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images Caption Rose Leslie, who'll play Ygritte, the wildling in Wager on Thrones Season 2, and Package Harington, who plays Jon SnowLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- As Gwen, on PBS Emmy-top ranked series Downton Abbey, Rose Leslie carried out a house maid rich in ambitions, and spend receive the same drive to Wager on Thrones as Ygritte. Cinemax confirmed to get into Hollywood the actress is positioned to see Ygritte, a wildling set to combine paths with Package Haringtons Jon Snow. SPOILER: Fans in the books know Jon will travel beyond the wall in Season 2, where he meets and evolves feelings for your redheaded wildling. Formerly, when asked for by Access Hollywood at Comic-Disadvantage 2010 in Hillcrest if his character might be acquiring an appreciation fascination with Season 2, Package blushed. In my opinion you might, is what Ill say, he told Access. Package is positioned to invest a while in Iceland filming GOT Season 2, giving the Nights Watch and people beyond-the-wall moments a cool flavor. It absolutely was cold last season, but this season would Iceland, Package told Access in those days. Its apt to be freezing, so thats apt to be a bit of the taskits pretty difficult stuff for Jon Snow. Wager on Thrones returns for Season 2 in 2012 on Cinemax. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

VIDEO: iPhone 4S's Siri Responds to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Prompts

Ok gadget hounds, so this Siri thing is pretty neat. AND she/it has a built-in sense for movie geekery, so if you happen to ask her, say, what the meaning of life is. (Answer: 42, duh.) Or slyly refer to the shenanigans of that uber-intelligent, all-knowing other futuristic supercomputer, HAL 9000. Watch video of Siri in action (at the 5:15 mark) after the jump and stick around for more Buzz Break. [MacWorld via Slashfilm] “I spent most of my life just trying to humor people.” Sipping lemonade and puffing on a cigar circa 1998, the late, great Hunter S. Thompson explains how his first manuscript, The Rum Diary (written in his youth, published decades later, and made into this week’s Johnny Depp starrer) was eclipsed by his Hell’s Angels gonzo reportage and languished in his basement for years. [Movie City News] National Amusements is actually not amused by Universal’s Tower Heist VOD plan and has joined the fast-growing exhibitor boycott of the film. This thing’s picking up more steam than Occupy America. [Reuters] Samuel L. Jackson has joined Twitter, muthaf***ers. [@SamuelLJackson] The celeb hacker suspected of breaking into Scarlett Johansson’s email account and exposing her naughty self-portraits to the world has been arrested by the FBI in an operation apparently called, I kid you not, Operation Hackerazzi. [THR] Terry Gilliam, 70, is still trying to put Don Quixote together. “I’ve actually reached the point of not believing I’ll ever make a film again.” Sadface. [Independent]

National basketball association Cancels First Couple Of Days Of Season

It’s bad news for ABC/ESPN and Turner, who own the lucrative national TV broadcast privileges towards the league’s games and reaps millions in advertising — much more recently as National basketball association rankings have become throughout yesteryear couple of years. Also it’s no have a picnic for teams, who've been reducing staff in anticipation. Despite lots of negotiating periods throughout yesteryear couple of days, little progress has been manufactured on the new labor contract, there appears to become no mutual understanding which to construct. When the proprietors’ lockout holds, expect lots of college basketball and football to complete the programming gaps. Here’s the discharge the league just released: NY — The National basketball association introduced today it has canceled the very first two days from the 2011-12 regular season just because a new collective negotiating agreement is not arrived at using the National Basketball Gamers Association. This cancellation includes all games initially scheduled to become performed through November 14. “Despite extensive efforts, we haven't had the opportunity to achieve a brand new agreement using the gamers’ union that enables all 30 teams to have the ability to compete for any championship while fairly paying our gamers,” National basketball association Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver stated. Refunds plus interest are for sale to all National basketball association season-ticket holders for those preseason and regular-season games which are canceled.

Belief Hill To Debut New Song On CMA Honours

First Released: October 6, 2011 5:36 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Caption Belief Hill arrives for that 45th Annual Academy of New Bands Honours in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas, Nevada on April 18, 2010 Belief Hill will debut a brand new song on next several weeks New Bands Association Honours. The nation star, a 3-time CMA champion, hasnt carried out around the honours telecast since 2006. A release in the CMA states Hill includes a new album being released early the coming year. It will likely be her first studio album since 2005s Fireflies. Hill joins a star-studded selection which includes all five performer of the season nominees Taylor Quick, Jason Aldean, Kaira Paisley, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban. Other entertainers include Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and also the Band Perry. Paisley, the reigning performer of the season, will host the honours with Barbara Underwood. The show airs November. 9 on ABC from Nashville. (Copyright 2011 by Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed) Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ABC Buys Bill Lawrence/Jason Belleville Firemen Comedy With Penalty

EXCLUSIVE: Inside a competitive situation between your two systems that transported Bill Lawrence’s comedy Scrubs, ABC and NBC, ABC has nabbed a brand new half-hour project from Lawrence and Canadian author Jason Belleville having a script commitment plus penalty. Belleville will write the multi-camera project in regards to a small-town volunteer fire department. Belleville, Lawrence and Shaun Ingold are executive creating, with Warner Bros. TV and Lawrence’s studio-based Doozer banner creating. This marks the very first U.S. gig for Belleville, that has a dual American/Canadian citizenship. In Canada, he most lately co-produced, executive created and went the only-camera comedy series Almost Heroes and formerly done hit Little Mosque Around the Prairie and Testees, that was licensed within the U.S. by Forex. Earlier this summer time, UTA-repped Belleville found La for a number of conferences and sitting lower with Lawrence and the development executive Shaun Ingold. The 3 hit them back and proceeded to developed the concept for that place of work comedy. This really is Lawrence’s third purchase within the first development season under his wealthy new deal at WBTV. He formerly arrived pilot production obligations at Fox, for any father-boy single-camera comedy which Lawrence will write, direct and executive produce, and also at CBS for any multi-camera place of work comedy which Lawrence is co-writing/executive creating with Greg Malins. Additionally to developing, ICM-repped Lawrence also continues as executive producer/showrunner on his ABC comedy series Cougar Town.

'Dancing While using Stars': Third Contestant Removed

Adam Taylor/ABC Despite obtaining the least expensive idol idol judges' scores on Monday evening's episode of Dwts, Chaz Bono remains safe and secure once again. Rather, Kristin Cavallari and her professional partner Mark Ballas were taken off ABC's dancing competition Tuesday evening. PHOTOS: 'Dancing While using Stars' Season 13: Rehearsals The duo went into the results show tied for third place with 24 points for rumba. But apparently the viewer votes -- which are combined with idol idol judges' scores to discover who'll get told to visit home -- weren't enough to keep her around for the next week. PHOTOS: 'Dancing While using Stars' Season 13 Cast Official Photos Cavallari expressed surprise in news reports, having a couple of audience people even booing within the announcement. Also for the bottom three were Carson Kressley, who was simply declared "safe" first, and Hope Solo. On Monday, Bono's mother, Cher, tweeted that they may be inside the audience inside a couple of days if her boy wasn't removed. "God hope Chaz dangles on till inside a couple of days to be able to come sit inside the Audience & Watch," she written. TV REVIEW: 'Dancing While using Stars' Season 13 Premiere Cavallari follows round the heels of formerly removed participants Ron Artest(also called Metta World Peace) and Elisabetta Canalis. Furthermore to Kressley, Solo and Bono, the relaxation from the participants are Ricki Lake, J.R. Martinez, Chynna Phillips, Make the most of Kardashian, David Arquette and Nancy Sophistication. Gail Speight brought with this report. RELATED: 'Dancing While using Stars' Contestant Make the most of Kardashian Didn't Know Who Fred Astaire Was 'Dancing While using Stars' Premiere: 5 Memorable Moments VIDEO: 'Dancing While using Stars'' Elisabetta Canalis 'Not Happy' to acquire Selected Off ABC Chaz Bono David Arquette Elisabetta Canalis Kristin Cavallari Dwts Dwts the final results Show Nancy Sophistication