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After its debut at Cannes, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez immediately became one of the most buzzed-about movies of the year thanks to its star-studded cast, unique premise, and visionary approach. AlthoughEmilia Perézis certainly a lot of movie, Jacques Audiard has made a daring, provocative, and entertaining musical that will challenge and perplex most viewers.
Emilia PérezReview
Emilia Pérezfollows a successful lawyer whose life is changed forever when she receives an unusual offer: to help a feared cartel boss get a new start by getting gender reassignment surgery. Since the film’s Cannes debut, this premise has proven to be quite controversial, and it’s understandable why. However, Audiard mostly treads this line with caution and poise.
There’s no denying thatEmilia Pérezis a messy movie. Its narrative feels disjointed, jumping between narrative threads, timelines, themes, and more. Yet, it’s also incredibly ambitious, and it’s hard not to be utterly mesmerized by Audiard’s massive swings. With this film, Audiard attempts to channel the greatest elements of the narco thriller, telenovela, classical opera, and Old Hollywood musical. Although it doesn’t all work, it’s never dull.
As for the music — a core element of the movie as a musical, after all — composers/songwriters Camille and Clément Ducol’s contributions are worthy if not particularly memorable.Emilia Pérezis the type of musical where its numbers are effective in context, but you won’t be adding its songs to your regular playlist. The musicality of its songs is strong, and they do a great job of pushing the story forward, but they aren’t particularly catchy. For the most part, they feel constructed, not natural.
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That being said, the musical numbers that Audiard builds off these songs are, with few exceptions, legitimately breathtaking. The choreography, production design, and cinematography are all top-notch. It’s clear that Audiard had a precise vision of how he wanted this film to look and feel, and he achieved it — for better or worse.
The other aspect ofEmilia Pérezthat makes it so compelling is its cast. Zoe Saldaña gives the best performance of her career in the lead role, giving a commandingly confident turn in both the musical and dramatic aspects of the movie. However, it is Karla Sofía Gascón who steals the show with a tremendously vulnerable turn that lends the film every bit of its emotional authenticity.
It is important to note that Audiard adaptedEmilia Pérezfrom his own opera, and it does feel incredibly operatic. What we see is equal parts epic and melodramatic. While one might expect Gascón to lean into this tone, she is instead the only one who doesn’t. Gascón’s seriousness amid a sea of camp allows the movie to thrive.
By default, that leaves pop starSelena Gomezas the weakest link in the cast. That’s not to say she’s bad; she simply has the least meaty role of the trio. She is firmly supporting, with a couple of musical numbers that allow her to show off her talents and a subplot that adds to the melodrama. Her casting does feel somewhat cynical, like an overt attempt to attract a younger audience to an otherwise pretty inaccessible foreign language film, but Gomez makes the most of the material she is given.
WhereEmilia Pérezcomes up short more consistently is its themes, as there are so many disparate threads that do not come together. At its core, the movie is about finding strength in self-expression and identity; however, several portions also discuss the rampant violence and corruption in Mexico. The film’s approach to its LGBTQIA+ themes is also occasionally clumsy.
That being said, for a movie about queer people of color written by a straight white man,Emilia Pérezis shockingly successful. At a few points — particularly in the first and third acts — the exaggeration takes over, and the film begins to lean towards caricature. Yet, Audiard mostly manages to rein it in, treating his characters with a wonderful level of empathy.
IsEmilia Pérezworth watching?
If there is one thing to be said aboutEmilia Pérez, it is that you will not see another movie like it this year. For some, it may be too provocative and weird. For others, it could be too incohesive. However, regardless of what you feel about the movie’s content, its form is undoubtedly some of the most ambitious of the year.
Emilia Pérezis playing at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 5-14.
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Sean Boelman
Managing Editor for Film and TV
Articles Published :441
Sean is the Managing Editor for Film and Television, working to determine editorial strategy for the critics team. He has been on the FandomWire team since 2022.In addition to writing reviews himself, Sean helps match writers on the FandomWire team with assignments that best fit their interests and expertise.
