26/23
The Plea Written by Camille (as C
Synopsis
Emilia Perez follows four extraordinary women in Mexico, each in search of their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia enlists Rita, an under-appreciated lawyer, to help her fake her death so she can finally live authentically as her true self. Karla Sofia Gascon discusses the two years of preparation it took for this demanding role in Jacques Audiard’s film, and the two extremes of her own personality that she had to portray as Emilia and Manitas. While promoting Emilia Perez, Selena Gomez said in several interviews that she is not fluent in Spanish and was not happy with her Spanish in this film. A French title card misspells the Indian city as “Dehli”… Featured on Latino Slant: La Bamba Remake, Tarantino Has a BIG Mouth, Jenna’s SPICE and Selena Surprises! (2024).
It’s insane
Dalmais), Clément Ducol, and Jacques Audiard Starring Zoe Saldana My second favorite Cannes film after The Substance (I didn’t see Anora). A musical about drug dealers and corruption in Mexico? What the hell? Emilia Perez is really inventive. It mixes a lot of different genres – drama, comedy, musical, thriller – but it does it in a very good and entertaining way. It’s also extremely original and surprisingly emotional. There’s a character here who has a touching and heartbreaking journey throughout the film.
Gascon plays the main character
I’m not going to go into details. It’s not really a spoiler because it’s revealed in the first 15-20 minutes of the film, but I didn’t know that and I was surprised that this film was going in that direction. That’s why I advise you not to read the description and go in completely blind if you want to have the best experience possible. The best thing about this Emilia Perez is definitely the performances. She won the Best Actress award at Cannes for no less than 4 performances (Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz). Saldana plays the main character and has many intense and eye-catching scenes (especially the musicals). I am happy that after all these box office successes she finally got the role where she could show her acting chops.
Jacques Audiard’s vision is bold and impressive
It is kind of a supporting role, but to be honest, she is the heart of the movie and the whole plot unfolds around her. Gomez and Paz were okay, but I am surprised that they also won the Palme d’Or – their performances were not as great and memorable as Saldana and Gascon’s. This movie is stylish and looks beautiful. I love the cinematography and the soundtrack. Not everything works perfectly and there were some moments where it didn’t quite convince me, but for the most part I enjoyed it and was amazed by its madness, wit and originality. I’m not a huge fan of musicals, but the musical scenes (of which there aren’t many) in that film are gripping and very well choreographed and shot, making them enjoyable to watch. The songs are catchy and memorable (my favorites are about vaginoplasty and the taste of cola).
“Emilia Perez” is not for everyone
Some people walked out, some said it was one of the worst films at the festival, some loved it (including me). General audiences aren’t going to like this. The closest film to this I’ve seen is Leos Carax’s “Annette.” “Emilia Perez” is more crowd-pleasing, but it’s still going to fall flat with a lot of people. But I still encourage you to watch it. Let’s support weird, niche cinema. No need to waste time endlessly scrolling — here’s the full list of new movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix this month.