In Mexico, a lawyer receives an unexpected offer to help a feared cartel boss retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he’s always dreamed of being.
Chuck says:
A vital, vibrant piece of cinema, Jacques Audard’s Emilia Perez is a gleeful mashup of a variety of genres that, much like its titular character, creates its own proud identity. And while the title refers to a single character, there are three women at its core who each blaze their own trail towards embracing their true selves, the outcome be damned. Each of the actresses portraying them deliver fierce performances brimming with strength and determination, but more importantly a sense of empathy and poignancy that allows the viewer to relate to their struggle, an essential component in making the film work.
Rita (Zoe Saldana) has never been a stranger to hard work or being underappreciated. She puts in long hours at the law firm where she’s employed, only for senior members to take the credit. As a result, her self-esteem has become battered and is in desperate need of a change, which comes from the most unexpected of places. Manitas Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascon), known leader of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel, approaches her with a hard-to-turn-down proposition. Rita will be given more money than she ever dreamed of if she agrees to find him a surgeon that will perform the operation so that he might transition from a man to a woman. The attorney must also establish him a new identity, help fake his death and arrange for his wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and their two children to go into hiding in Switzerland. Just another day at the office.
This plot heavy first act breezes by, thanks not only to the audacity of the plot, but also the lively song and dance numbers that drive it. Yes, Emilia Perez is the musical-gangster-melodrama-dark comedy movie you didn’t know you wanted or needed.
Though the film clocks in at over two hours, it never lags, the clever songs and furious choreography providing the movie with a driving energy that’s engaging throughout. Saldana, in particular, is a revelation in these moments, her background as a ballerina being put to good use as Rita expresses her frustration through a series of incendiary dances that threaten to rend the screen.
The plot twists keep coming as Emilia (Gascon) emerges, claiming to be Manitas’ cousin. Wanting Jessi and their two sons near her, she insists they come to live with her. Obviously, this is a situation fraught with peril, and things comes to a head when Jessi begins openly dating Gustavo (Edgar Ramirez), the man she was cheating on Manitas with.
The soap opera elements become more and more outlandish as the film hurtles towards its conclusion but along the way, the transformation of these three women provide the emotional foundation of the story. As an act of atonement, Emilia and Rita create a foundation dedicated to finding the thousands of missing people who fell victim to drug cartel kidnappings while Jessi embraces the fact that she can now dictate the path of her own life away from the long shadow of her criminal husband.
To be sure, the musical numbers, moments of dark humor and surprising plot twists are astonishing, but it would mean nothing were it not for the compelling journey of these three women and the actresses who bring them to life. Gascon, Saldana and Gomez embrace and portray these characters in a way that can only be done by deeply relating to them. It’s obvious each is channeling whatever personal frustrations they’ve had to contend with in their careers in their performances, their catharsis and liberation channeled through Emilia, Rita and Jessi. There’s a power on display from each that’s wonderful to witness and share.
Audard’s willingness to challenge the conventions of various genres as well as the audience is to be commended, his singular vision providing an avenue to tell this unique story at a time in which it is needed most. Like its characters, Emilia Perez isn’t asking for the viewers acceptance, just the ability to follow the beat of its own drum without recrimination, something it does with confidence and pride, making it one of the year’s best films.
4 Stars
Pam says:
“Emilia Pérez,” written and directed by Jacques Audiard, is a film that defies classification. Blending music, dancing, drama, and even an element of comedy as it delves into one person’s quest for happiness, it’s an unusual recipe for a film that captures your heart and pulls you into the story.
Rita (Zoe Saldana) is a lawyer in Mexico City whose unfulfilling job as a state defender leads her inadvertently to a new one; helping a chillingly dangerous cartel leader, Manitas (Karla Sofía Gascón) who is also married to Jessi (Selena Gomez) with two children, change his life. The premise seems a simple one, but I can assure you, it is not.
Manitas “asks” Rita for her professional legal skills to help him change his life…to become a woman, his true identity. Fearing for her life, Rita accepts and, in return, she becomes wealthy. The process Manitas experiences to fulfill his dreams is complicated but Audiard takes that intimidating process and puts a beat and rhythm to it making it a more comfortable situation.
Fast forwarding a few years, Rita and Manitas, now Emilia, cross paths again as her legal skills are once again needed. Rita finds that Emilia is the antithesis of Manitas as she observes Emilia helping her community. There’s a happiness and joy that accompanies Emilia that draws Rita to her…a friend she never knew she had. Emilia’s life, however, isn’t complete and as she places that final missing piece of the puzzle, things spiral out of control…for everyone.
The story is a uniquely told one as it explores identity and the importance of being your true self…at any cost. It’s also a story of love and friendship and the lengths we go to for those who are important to us. This connection and evolution is beautifully portrayed by Saldana and Gascon as Rita and Emilia, respectivley.
When a film can surprise you, that’s a win, but when it can also engage you because there you can relate to it, it’s even better. Who doesn’t question who they are at particular moments in our lives? Who doesn’t want to be their true selves and gain a sense of satisfaction in life? These are existential questions we all ask ourselves, no matter our gender or our identity.
While you might also question the fact that this is also a musical, it exists to either lighten the emotional load or accentuate it. Unfortunately, the second act loses its ground, forgetting that musical component, until later in that act which is nothing short of jarring. Thankfully, the third and final act is riveting; tying up all the loose ends in unexpected ways. “Emilia Pérez” doesn’t follow the typical Hollywood formula which lends itself to surprises. And that, in and of itself, is a true pleasure.
A story like this cannot succeed unless you have the talent to tell it. “Emilia Perez” has this in spades. Gascon is a dream. She understands her characters and performs with a range that will blow your mind. (I truly thought another actor was playing the role of Manitas.) Her strength and power give Manitas a menacing chill that will haunt your memories, and then, as Emilia, there’s a lightness and happiness we had no idea was buried deeply within. Her performance as Emilia is nuanced and evocative and with this, we want her character to be happy. We see how Emilia has changed, not just the obvious external changes, but the inward changes, her heart and her soul.
Saldana is equally as powerful, and we also see the changes in her as she better understands herself as well as Emilia. And her singing and dancing skills, as she said in an interview at the New York Film Festival, had laid dormant for so long, are obviously still a vital and beautiful part of her performing career.
“Emilia Perez” is an intensely beautiful story of love and acceptance like no other.
3 ½ Stars
