Emilia Pérez

 

“🎶 Half him, half her, half papa, half aunt, half rich, half poor, half kingpin, half queen, half here, half there, half dead, half alive, half inside, half outside, everything, nothing. 🎶”

Subversive, surreal and sweeping, Emilia Pérez is a mesmerising Mexican musical mafiosi masterpiece that explores self-identity, corruption, love and desire with incredible performances, hypnotic choreography and stunning visuals in a confident, captivating crime epic full of sensitivity and tenacity. 

Discussion Points:

The Danish Girl meets Sicario meets In the Heights/Carmen - a cartel crime musical thriller about a trans gangster trying to start a new life and atone for their crimes but unable to sever themselves from their violent tumultuous past with explosive and mesmerising musical numbers, stunning visuals and powerhouse performances. I was absolutely swept away in Jacques Audiard’s singular subversive vision which transfixed me. Truly hard to describe something this brazen and bold and confident. Whilst I do think the story gets a bit melodramatic and messy, it still has some fascinating things to say - especially about the corruption in Mexico and the failure of the state. Whilst Karla Sofía Gascón is incredible as the titular Emilia Pérez (including a truly unrecognisable opening few scenes) the show is frequently stolen by the incomparable Zoe Saldaña who sings, acts and dances her heart out with such perfectly calibrated rage and intensity. Add a fiery Selena Gomez as a jilted ex-wife desperate to find her own freedom - and it’s clear why the 3 plus Adriana Paz won a collective Best Actress award at this years Cannes Film Festival. Whilst others mileage may vary, I found the film to balance its varied tones and genres - vicariously but successfully. Genuinely surprised at how much I was blown away by this.