The film premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival ahead of the fall film festival. Emilia Perez Screenwriter and director Jacques Audiard (Paris, District 13; rust and bones) was inspired by the character of a transgender Mexican drug dealer in Boris Razon’s novel Ecuto, and wrote an opera libretto about the character before turning it into a film. It was so much so.
Set primarily in Mexico, the story revolves around underrated lawyer Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) and her new potential client, cartel kingpin Juan “Manitas” Del.・Starts to move after meeting Monte (Carla Sofia Gascón). She undergoes gender reassignment surgery and begins a truly new life.
After making a new start as Emilia Perez and staging the death of a central figure in her past, she once again searches for Rita so that she can be reunited with her family under one roof in Mexico. Posing as a distant cousin of “Manitas”, Emilia ends up living with her children and “widow” Jesse (Selena Gomez) and gets her wish.
Everything seems to be going in the right direction and Emilia can finally look forward to the future. But at every turn, she finds herself having to reckon with her criminal and romantic past and try to find a way forward before everything falls apart.
As you can imagine from the previous explanation, Emilia Perez There are many movies. musical. Drama. Comedy. action. crime thriller. The explosion of genres knows no bounds. It may sound like a mess, but the brilliance of the script and corresponding direction is that all the intricacies were captured scene by scene by incredibly skilled actors in step with the visionary director. It’s a balance of emotions.
This movie knows what it’s about, even if the audience (read: read) is left behind in the beginning. Honestly, I don’t understand why the average moviegoer frankly doesn’t think so. The story begins with Rita, played by Zoe Saldaña, and her career aspirations for a long time until she helps “Manitas”, then becomes a race to get the drug cartel leader’s surgery, and the short film seems to have been completed. What you feel is what comes out on the other side. Did we mention the songs range from moral conflicts across the city to whispered conversations about gender reassignment surgery?
But don’t let that deter you from the multi-layered, theme-shattering unicorns that lie ahead. Transgender inclusion may seem like a pure and simple story about identity (and in part it is), but it’s much more than that. This is a tragic story of regrets, things you can’t live without, the choices you make in life, and looking back on the past no matter what changes you make for the future.
The film has the potential for several Oscar nominations and several wins, especially for the four amazing women who kicked off the awards campaign at Cannes with an ensemble win for Best Actress: Carla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, & Adriana Paz
Gasson leaps off the screen in a role with dual identities, giving us the strength and grace to know when to kill us with delicacy and explosiveness. It looks like she’s definitely nominated for Best Actress. Saldaña, who could probably be counted as a supporting role, wraps up the film nicely with some truly athletic musical numbers and a ton of screen time. Gomez is a firecracker who oozes sexual charm, and she perfectly plays the final tragic moment. And Adriana Paz fits in well with Gascón’s Emilia, bringing Emilia’s story of reversal to life.
To get more nominations, I see potential in an adaptation with a strong case for original songs and editing. It must have been a herculean effort to dominate all the big swings, dance choreography, and action set pieces the movie has to offer. Previous Oscar nominee and frequent Audiard collaborator Juliette Welfling (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Prophet) is well-deserved to return for this epic.
For some, including me, the only shock to this film may come from the songs themselves, as not all songs work for each moment in the story. While some of the songs really pack an emotional punch (like Emilia’s song to her children and Saldaña’s opening number), some songs like the more aggressive political songs Saldaña sings later in the film Others push smaller agendas or are less memorable. Film music lovers may be repulsed by the more conversational and understated productions, as well as the brasher, flashier scenes, which are limited in number in total.
But let’s face it. The best part is Emilia Perez This means that nothing is exactly the same. Emilia Perez. Always engaging, vibrant, tragic, with genre shifts and memorable set pieces at every turn. Strong performances from the Fab Five (with an interesting Edgar Ramirez performance for dessert) add to the production values on a very modest budget. This is the best Netflix movie of the year so far, and the best chance for an actor to win at the Academy Awards since Laura Dern won in 2020.
If you like it, check out Emilia Perez
- i’m not here anymore
- all about my mother
- prophet
MVP Emilia Perez
Carla Sofia Gascón as Emilia Perez/Manitas del Monte
Let’s start the campaign!
Being the lead in an award-contending film can be a daunting challenge for anyone. Now, in addition to being your first feature film in 10 years in a career primarily in television, I might also add that you were asked to play a transgender character before and after gender reassignment surgery. It’s only been in the last few years that you yourself have started playing female roles. Combine all of this and go head-to-head with a highly sought-after veteran actor while making a good portion of your lines into musical numbers. Did we mention she had to be convincing as the head of a violent drug cartel and a loving mother to her own children? Gascón was able to master the enormous range of emotions and genre characteristics that this uniquely framed film demands. All of this must be done in a performance that convincingly represents. Not only is this a hard performance to top this year, but it’s also a story worth celebrating.
A script with a grand idea that transcends genres, and powered by the lead’s more than authentic performances. Emilia Perez It stays with you long after it’s over.