Reviewed on May 18th at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival – Competition. 130Mins
Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, Édgar Ramírez
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Musical, Thriller
Director: Jacques Audiard
In Irish Cinemas: 25th October 2024
Streaming on Netflix: 13th November 2024
Emilia Pérez, the latest offering from visionary director Jacques Audiard, is a cinematic experience that resists easy categorisation. It blends a wide range of genres and themes: part opera, part redemption tale, a high-stakes cartel thriller, a complex exploration of trans identity, and a melodrama with a healthy dose of soap opera-style intrigue. Yet, it’s more than the sum of these parts, incorporating a kaleidoscope of elements that challenge traditional storytelling. Released by Netflix, the film centres on Rita (Zoe Saldana), a lawyer in Mexico City whose career revolves around defending criminals and helping them evade justice. Her world is upended when she is summoned to meet Manitas Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón), an influential cartel leader. But it’s not a typical cartel demand she faces. Instead, Manitas seeks something deeply personal: help in finding a doctor who can perform gender confirmation surgery, enabling him to fully transition into the woman he has always known herself to be. This request sets in motion a narrative that intertwines crime, personal transformation, and identity in unexpected ways.
Rita agrees to the plan, even taking responsibility for Manitas’ wife, Jessi (played by Selena Gomez), and their two young sons. However, her life unexpectedly turns four years later when Emilia Pérez reenters the picture. Emilia, now transformed, returns as a woman on a path to redemption, eager to make amends and reconnect with Jessi and their children. Yet, this barely scratches the surface of the film’s events as the narrative unfolds amidst a series of vibrant and imaginative musical sequences. While these performances bring an element of whimsy and energy, the lyrics themselves can feel somewhat lacking. Instead of offering thoughtfully crafted verses, they often seem like the characters vocalise their raw, unfiltered thoughts. This may result from the language barrier—the film is entirely in Spanish—and some lyrical nuances may be lost or diluted in the English subtitles
The central trio of women deliver outstanding performances, with each bringing depth and intensity to their roles. Zoe Saldana’s return to her dancing roots is incredibly captivating, as she embodies the raw power and emotion of Damien Jalet’s choreography with impressive precision. Saldana stands out in a particularly electrifying scene titled “The Bad,” where Rita vents her anger and disillusion over the dangerous criminals she and Emilia are entangled with. In this sequence, Rita’s frustrations explode in a burst of vivid imagination—she leaps onto tables and dances with a relentless, almost feral energy, giving the scene a visceral, kinetic impact that lingers long after it’s over.
Selena Gomez delivers a standout performance, shedding the last traces of her Disney Channel image to fully embrace the role of a fiercely devoted wife in the gritty world of narco crime. Gomez transforms Jessi into a multifaceted character, avoiding the clichéd tropes of a gangster’s moll by infusing her portrayal with depth and complexity. At the same time, she skillfully leans into the melodrama that comes with such a role, embracing the heightened emotions with confidence and energy. The film’s climax is particularly powerful, allowing Gomez to shine in ways we haven’t seen before. Her portrayal of heartache and emotional turmoil is visceral, her body language conveying the raw pain of a woman on the edge, teetering on the brink of something dangerous and unpredictable.
However, Karla Sofía Gascón delivers the film’s most profound revelation. As a trans actress, Gascón brings a deeply personal and authentic connection to her role as Emilia, a character who has finally embraced her true identity. Gascón imbues Emilia with a luminous joy and a newfound sense of peace, capturing the exhilaration of finally becoming who she was always meant to be. Yet, this happiness is tinged with a quiet sadness, as Gascón masterfully conveys the lingering regrets over what Emilia has had to leave behind in her journey of self-discovery. With a performance full of emotional nuance, Gascón strikes a delicate balance between hope and sorrow, creating a character who feels both triumphant and heartbreakingly human.
Emilia embarks on a journey of redemption, using her past ties to criminals and drug cartels as a resource to aid families in uncovering the fates of their missing loved ones. In a country where more than 100,000 people have disappeared over the last decade, the film sheds light on the human cost of these unresolved tragedies and Emilia’s quest to bring closure to those left behind. Emilia Pérez is a celebration of self-discovery, a meditation on forgiveness, and a multi-layered love story that spans romantic and platonic connections. The film takes viewers on a raw, gritty, and dazzling ride that defies genre norms and expectations. Though it starts slow and juggles shifting tones, Emilia Pérez truly shines when the audience embraces its chaotic, unpolished charm. It’s a bold, provocative work—ambitious in scope and execution. While it may not always hit the mark perfectly, it consistently delivers something engaging, keeping the viewer invested as it takes creative risks and challenges conventional storytelling.
Overall: 8.5/10
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