'Miss Bala' Film Review: Gina Rodriguez Remake Misses the Target

Female empowerment is a complicated journey for any filmmaker to tackle because there is no one way to define or to interpret an empowered woman. When James Cameron called “Wonder Woman” an “objectified icon,” Patty Jenkins fired back by saying, “I believe women can and should be EVERYTHING, just like male lead characters should be. There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman.”

Jenkins was right: Empowerment isn’t about looks or physical strength; it’s about who a woman is, and who she ends up becoming. Portraying that journey, while also trying to make a film about the Latinx community (a historically overlooked demographic in Hollywood cinema), becomes an extraordinarily difficult task for director Catherine Hardwicke in “Miss Bala.” She’s game for the challenge of remaking the 2011 Mexican film but doesn’t quite get there, mostly because of the underwritten characters, and a few confusing relationships that are mismatched for the messages that screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer tries to convey.

Taking the premise of the original movie about political corruption and its relationship to beauty pageants in Mexico, Hardwicke and Dunnet-Alcocer reconceive the story to fit a more Americanized narrative, putting Gloria (Gina Rodriguez), a Mexican-born but LA-raised woman, at the center of the story. Gloria is a makeup artist who heads to Tijuana to visit and support her friend Suzu (Cristina Rodlo), who is competing in the Miss Baja California beauty pageant.

Watch Video: Gina Rodriguez Plays a Dangerous Game in First 'Miss Bala' Trailer

The women have a night out so that Suzu can network with pageant executives; when the nightclub is invaded and shot up by a Mexican cartel, Gloria escapes, but Suzu is nowhere to be found. Gloria quickly learns how deep police corruption goes in Mexico and finds herself held captive by cartel leader Lino (Ismael Cruz Córdova, “Mary Queen of Scots”). With her friend missing, her life in danger, and not knowing who to trust, Gloria embarks down a path that will leave her changed forever.

While “Miss Bala” should be commended for having a cast and crew that is over 95% Latinx on a film about Latinos, most of characters are still drug traffickers, gang members, and killers. And while Dunnet-Alcocer tries to give Lino some humanity, with a backstory to explain why he chose the cartel life — like many Latinx in the United States, Lino never feels entirely at home on either side of the border — the script forgets to give Gloria the same consideration. She is defined exclusively by her relationship to Suzu, with nothing to grow from besides the trauma Lino puts her through.

Watch Video: 'Carmen Sandiego' Trailer: Netflix Gives Gina Rodriguez-Voiced Character Her Own Origin Story

Besides Suzu’s younger brother, every other character is a gang member, a corrupt politician, an abused woman, or someone who has been bought off in one way or another. The film tries to offer some balance by having three of the non-Latinx characters also be immoral and shady, but since these characters aren’t seen for more than a few minutes — whereas we see multiple scenes of Mexicans being awful — it feels like a consolation prize rather than an attempt at evening the playing field.

The mixed messages continue in how the two main characters are connected. The heavy sexual tension between Gloria and Lino comes off as fairly creepy, considering he’s her captor. One could argue that tension stems from the overall attractiveness of Rodriguez and Cruz Córdova, but there’s more going on than just that.

Watch Video: Catherine Hardwicke Says 'Time Is Now' to Fix Hollywood's Gender Disparity (Exclusive)

Hardwicke includes several specific scenes that intentionally lead the audience to believe that romantic and sexual feelings exist between a woman held hostage and her abuser. In the era of #MeToo, and the knowledge that comes from listening to survivors of abuse and violence, this portrayal is very misleading and raises an ethical question regarding the ongoing presentation of violence against women on film.

Though the action sequences and pacing move well, and cinematographer Patrick Murguia (“Low Winter Sun”) definitely leans his camera into the “female gaze,” what’s most disappointing about Hardwicke’s remake is how it compares to the original film. The original was directed by a man (Gerardo Naranjo), and unlike the remake, it took care in making sure the audience knew that Gloria was without a doubt an innocent victim. Hardwicke’s “Miss Bala,” on the other hand, is a classic example of putting a woman through traumatic events only to change her into a gun-wielding heroine. What this new version forgets, to its detriment, is that Gloria’s strength doesn’t come from finally holding the gun; it comes from being a survivor.

15 Highest-Grossing American Remakes of Foreign Films, From 'Godzilla' to 'The Departed' (Photos)

The Swedish film "Force Majeure" was a critically acclaimed darling but not exactly a box office hit. So there was an opportunity to take the film's black humor and install the American charms of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell to see how it might fare commercially in "Downhill," opening this weekend. But surprisingly, even box office hits abroad don't always translate when remade with American actors, and the ones that do rarely resemble their original inspiration. Here are the highest-grossing American remakes of foreign films (all domestic box office figures via Box Office Mojo).
Jaap Buitendijk/Searchlight
15. Nine Months (1995) - $69.6 Million

France, "Neuf mois" (1994)

This much-loved Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore rom-com about pregnancy started as a French romantic comedy called "Neuf mois," but it was the remake that took off in America and abroad, grossing $138 million worldwide.
Twentieth Century Fox
14. "Dinner for Schmucks" (2010) - $73.0 Million

France, "Le Diner de Cons" (1998)

The snappy French comedy "Le Diner de Cons," or "The Dinner Game," made over $4 million at the domestic box office after releasing in France back in 1998, spawning this less-critically successful remake from Jay Roach starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell.
Paramount
13. "Eight Below" (2006) - $81.6 Million

Japan, "Antarctica" (1983)

Both "Antarctica" and "Eight Below" were big box office hits. How could a survival story about eight huskies not be? But while "Eight Below" is a Disney-fied and whitewashed version of the story, the Japanese film hews closer to a real-life ill-fated rescue mission from the '50s. "Antarctica" also held the box office record in Japan until the release of "Princess Mononoke" in 1997.
Walt Disney Pictures
12. "Vanilla Sky" (2001) - $100.6 Million

Spain, "Abre Los Ojos" (1997)

Cameron Crowe directed Tom Cruise in the American remake of Alejandro Amenabar's "Abre Los Ojos," about a handsome and vain man who suffers an accident that disfigures his face. Crowe's version follows Amenabar's closely but makes a significant change to the ending that polarized some critics and audiences.
Paramount Pictures
11. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) - $102.5 Million

Sweden, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2009)

While technically an American version of Stieg Larsson's book, the success of David Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" owes a lot to the overseas success of the Swedish adaptation of the book. The Swedish version grossed over $10 million in America and over $100 million worldwide. And the film's star, Noomi Rapace, set the stage for screen versions of Lisbeth Salander, further using it as a launching pad for her own English-language acting career.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
10. "The Italian Job" (2003) - $106.1 Million

Britain, "The Italian Job" (1969)

Mark Wahlberg might not be Michael Caine, but F. Gary Gray's retro caper of the classic British heist movie was a box office hit and helped put Mini Coopers back on the map stateside.
Paramount Pictures
9. "The Upside" (2019)

France, "The Intouchables" (2011)

Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart starred in this sweet remake of "The Intouchables," a movie that made so much money in France that it became a cultural event. After earning $166 million in France, the country's second-highest-grossing film ever, and over $426 million worldwide, an American remake of the film was inevitable, and it proved bankable as well. It made $108.2 million domestic but only did modestly overseas for a worldwide total of $125.8 million.
STXfilms
8. The Grudge (2004) - $110.3 Million

Japan, "Ju-On: The Grudge" (2002)

"The Grudge," like "The Ring," was part of a wave of Japanese horror remakes from the early 2000s and also spawned several other American horror sequels. As of 2020, even the American remake now got its own remake, though that one sputtered at the box office in comparison.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
7. "The Birdcage" (1996) - $124.0 Million

France, "La Cage aux Folles" (1978)

Mike Nichols' "The Birdcage" isn't just a remake of a foreign film, it's also an adaptation of a long-running French play. Both film and play are titled "La Cage aux Folles," and the French film adaptation was nominated for three Oscars following its release in 1978.
MGM
6. "The Ring" (2002) - $129.1 Million

Japan, "Ringu" (1998)

The American version of "The Ring" remains the highest-grossing horror remake of all time, and it was so wildly successful that it spawned a whirl of other American remakes of Japanese horror films, including "The Grudge," "Pulse," "The Eye," "Shutters," "Mirror" and more, all within a few years of each other.
DreamWorks
5. "The Departed" (2006) - $132 Million

Hong Kong, "Infernal Affairs," (2002)

Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" is so intrinsically tied to Boston cops and gangsters that it's hard to remember that the film's twisty story of moles and double crossing originated in Hong Kong as "Infernal Affairs," which itself spawned several sequels abroad. And while the film's critical acclaim in Japan was impressive, it was Scorsese's film that won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Also Read: ‘Cowboy Bebop': Live-Action Remake of Acclaimed Anime Series Lands at Netflix
Warner Bros.
4. "Godzilla" (1998) - $136.3 million

Japan, "Godzilla" (1954)

Roland Emmerich's "Godzilla" starring Matthew Broderick wasn't a hit with critics, but it did stomp all over the box office in 1998, becoming the 9th-highest-grossing film of the year.
Warner Bros.
3. "True Lies" (1994) - $146.2 Million

France, "La Totale!" (1991)

The French "La Totale!" is firmly a comedy and performed modestly at the French box office, but James Cameron made it his own when he cast Arnold Schwarzenegger in his tongue-in-cheek action blockbuster.
Twentieth Century Fox
2. "3 Men and a Baby" (1987) - $167.7 Million

France, "3 Hommes et un couffin" (1985)

Made on a midsize budget and starring the most '80s cast of Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson as three bachelors watching over a baby, "3 Men and a Baby" was a surprise comedy hit as the top grossing movie of 1987. But its French predecessor was likewise a success, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language film in 1986.
Buena Vista Pictures
1. "Godzilla" (2014) - $200.6 Million

Japan, "Godzilla" (1954)

"Godzilla" has had so many remakes and sequels over the years, but Gareth Edwards' film gets closer to the melancholy of Ishiro Honda's original monster movie than ever before.
Legendary/Warner Bros.

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”Downhill,“ opening this week, is a remake of the critically acclaimed Swedish film ”Force Majeure“

The Swedish film "Force Majeure" was a critically acclaimed darling but not exactly a box office hit. So there was an opportunity to take the film's black humor and install the American charms of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell to see how it might fare commercially in "Downhill," opening this weekend. But surprisingly, even box office hits abroad don't always translate when remade with American actors, and the ones that do rarely resemble their original inspiration. Here are the highest-grossing American remakes of foreign films (all domestic box office figures via Box Office Mojo).

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15 Highest-Grossing American Remakes of Foreign Films, From 'Godzilla' to 'The Departed' (Photos)

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