Scenario
Emilia Pérez follows four remarkable women in Mexico, each in pursuit of their own happiness
Cartel leader Emilia hires underappreciated lawyer Rita to help her fake her death so she can finally live authentically as her true self. Karla Sofía Gascón talks about the two years of preparation it took for this demanding role in Jacques Audiard’s film, and the two extremes of her own personality she had to embody as Emilia and Manitas. Jacques Audiard has said he got the idea for the musical from a chapter in a novel about a drug dealer who aspires to change his identity.
El AlegatoWritten by Camille (as C
A French title card misspells the Indian city as «Dehli.» Featured in Latino Slant: La Bamba Remake, Tarantino Has a BIG Mouth, Jenna & Selena’s CHILI Shocks! (2024). Dalmais), Clément Ducol, and Jacques AudiardPlayed by Zoe Saldana.
The crime drama aspects are played surprisingly straight, and the milieu successfully morphs into Mrs
Emilia Pérez could have held her own on the sheer audacity of her genre-bending madness, but what makes this musical crime drama about the trans experience really work is the genuine heart at its core. The trans narrative and musical numbers are matched by an overall unpredictability that gives the film many of its biggest surprises. Doubtfire.
She leads you through the opening moments, and then Karla Sofía Gascón begins to take control without Saldaña feeling left out
Zoë Saldaña is fantastic in a performance that eschews subtlety in favor of something bolder, with each musical number showing off a new set of skills. Gascón is astonishing because her performance is so heartfelt, as she embraces her new life while clinging to the best aspects of her old one while struggling to accept some of her former partner’s revelations. As with some of his previous efforts, Jacques Audiard’s direction moves at a brisk pace, taking its time to follow the lives of his characters wherever they go.
The musical numbers are excellent and truly varied
There is a surreal element to these numbers due to their lyrics alone and each one works, whether it’s the characters simply singing their dialogue or the larger choreographed numbers in which Paul Guilhaume’s vivid cinematography shines.