Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz make beautiful music together in Jacques Audiard’s provocative crime drama about a drug kingpin transitioning to evade police and be in tune with their identity…
Remember the first time you saw Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge and were most likely immediately taken by the production design and musicality of a wondrously gorgeous Paris, France? That film might not have been for everybody, but there’s no denying its staying power as a romantic musical drama with impressive performances, dance numbers, and a fascinating premise. Moulin Rouge was a unique experience for me when I saw it in cinemas in 2001 as I’d never seen anything put to film like it before.
That is until Jacques Audiard gave the world Emilia Pérez.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, the Cannes Best Actress award-winning musical dramedy Emilia Pérez had its Canadian premiere. A standing ovation accompanied the film’s credits, recognizing the bombastic score by Clément Ducol and original songs by French singer Camille. The film’s controversial story, told through song and with a Mexican backdrop, is one of the most original and eccentric concepts of the past decade.
Zoe Saldaña stars in the mostly Spanish-language movie as Rita Moro Castro, a lawyer fed up with the Mexican legal system and her male superiors. She embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she takes on an unusual client: Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón), a drug cartel leader looking to transition so that they can affirm their identity and dodge law enforcement. Rita agrees, sending her on a new adventure across the globe in an effort to find the right doctors for her latest client.
After transitioning, Manitas changes their name to the titular Emilia Pérez and becomes a wealthy woman living in Mexico as a benefactor for charitable organizations. Her wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), believes she is dead and has no idea about the transition or Rita’s involvement. Emilia falls for the gorgeous Epifanía (Adriana Paz), while Jessi continues an affair with the dastardly Gustavo Brun (Édgar Ramírez). These complex relationships and the secrets they hold are at the heart of the film’s emotional journey.
The pursuit of happiness is on full display for all of these characters, each literally singing their own song to get their points across. Audiard’s direction in Emilia Pérez gives Gascón a lot of room to play with a disjointed Emilia as she navigates, trying to see her children and the jealousy that overcomes her when she discovers Jessi’s antics. But nothing will prepare audiences for the vibrant and colorful musical sequences that this film uncovers, due in large part to Saldañas willingness to push the boundaries of her acting and dancing talents.
Emilia Pérez is a sight to be seen and should be watched on the biggest screen imaginable. It is truly an odyssey that only Homer could have devised, though much of the dialogue and choreography explode in rich visuals because of Audiard’s perspectives. The film is presented like a Mexican soap opera of epic proportions with musical numbers that defy emotions and gravity in a single note.
The search for identity and queerness has never been told in this manner, unique to the four main actresses at the center of the film’s heart and soul. Paul Guilhaume’s cinematography is masterful, giving a disturbing character like Emilia some much-needed levity in times of crisis. Saldaña has never been better. Despite having led several major franchises for big studio productions, she’s top-notch in a role that will no doubt lead to awards consideration towards the end of this year.
Emilia Pérez is a daring new way of operatic storytelling set to a beat that will force the movie musical genre into a new direction.
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