Emilia Perez

Emilia Perez, directed by Jacques Audiard, took the Cannes Film Festival 2024 by storm, establishing itself as a standout film in a competition that had yet to deliver a real crowd-pleaser. Jacques Audiard, best known for his 2015 Palme d'Or winner Dheepan, brings a fresh and daring touch to this vibrant musical comedy. Jacques Audiard, who has always been preoccupied with the roots and dynamics of male violence, makes a slight change with Emilia Perez, presenting a modern melodrama filled with intrigue and dazzling color.

Emilia Perez is a Spanish-language film centered on a Mexican drug lord, Manitas, who decides to transform himself into a woman, abandoning his old life to start anew. The plot is inspired by a chapter in the novel Écoute by French author Boris Razon. The story is long and crazy, reflecting the passionate vision of Audiard, who has always been keen to explore male violence and its roots. The film's main character, played by Karla Sofia Gascon, undergoes a major transformation, both physical and emotional, which is brilliantly captured over the course of the 132-minute film. This transformation is at the heart of the film, driving the narrative forward with a mix of melodrama and musical elements.

The story begins with Rita, played by Zoe Saldana, a talented but overworked lawyer working for a big firm more interested in saving criminals than dispensing justice. Rita receives a call from Manitas, who asks her to help him retire from the criminal underworld and transform into a woman. Despite this dangerous and unusual request, Rita agrees to help him, which leads her on a journey to Tel Aviv to find the perfect surgeon. With Rita's help, Manitas undergoes a surgical transition from male to female, changes his identity and disappears, sending his two children and his wife, Jessi, played by Selena Gomez, to Switzerland. The film's narrative is intricately woven with themes of identity, transformation and redemption, capturing the audience's attention from start to finish.

Four years later, Manitas reappears as Emilia Perez and reunites with Rita, asking her to arrange a reunion with his wife and children. The catch is that they won't know it's Manitas, but rather his wealthy aunt, who will put them up in her multimillion-dollar mansion. This setup adds layers of complexity to the story, exploring themes of deception and identity. Transgender Spanish star Karla Sofia Gascon, who plays both Manitas and Emilia, delivers a dynamic performance that could certainly earn her an acting award. The pride, vulnerability and deception she displays in her portrayal of Emilia make her character both compelling and relatable. Gascon's performance is complemented by a rousing score by French singer Camille, who wrote the lyrics, and her partner, composer Clément Ducol. The music plays like a rock opera, with spoken and sung lyrics, sometimes harmonizing with each other, creating a highly original and refreshing take on the musical genre.

The film's musical elements are perfectly integrated into the story. The songs don't just end with the audience applauding wildly. On the contrary, there's a linearity between song and words that never distracts. The choreography is not overly showy, and adapts to the mood of a given scene. Zoe Saldana, with her powerful voice, delivers the best performance of her career. She sings and dances effortlessly from one scene to the next, but also manages to deliver a vibrant, emotional performance. Selena Gomez, as Jessi, brings depth to her role, balancing her acting talents with her pop star charisma.

Emilia Perez never loses sight of her audience appeal, and this commercial sensibility doesn't detract from the film's overall vision. Jacques Audiard is, after all, a commercially-minded filmmaker, and Emilia Perez is meant to adhere to a variety of tastes. The action-packed finale, while entertaining, doesn't match the fervor of the rest of the film. A subplot involving Emilia and Rita in the creation of a non-profit association designed to help relatives search for victims of cartel violence, while significant, detaches itself slightly from the main narrative. However, these minor problems do not detract from the film's overall impact.

Emilia Pérez mixes telenovela plot elements with musical numbers. In the midst of all this dramatic storytelling, there's singing and dancing, including a number where Rita learns about surgery while the doctors chant the names of the procedures. Emilia Perez often hits the mark, making this one of the festival's boldest films, love it or hate it. The film captivates with its unflinching sincerity, taking its mission seriously in every genre it tackles, thanks to committed performances and Audiard's expressive direction...

Despite its exaggerated reality and difficulty in suspending disbelief, it's very hard not to be won over by Jacques Audiard's gonzo vision. The film tackles the complex themes of identity and transformation with boldness and sincerity, and Emilia Perez stands out for her originality and emotional impact, making it a memorable cinematic experience. The film's Grand Prix win is well-deserved, and we encourage viewers to discover it when it is released in cinemas.

Emilia Pérez
Written and directed by Jacques Audiard
Produced by Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux, Valérie Schermann, Anthony Vaccarello
Starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez
Cinematography : Paul Guilhaume
Edited by Juliette Welfling
Music by Clément Ducol (score), Camille (songs)
Production companies: Why Not Productions, Page 114, Pimienta Films, France 2 Cinéma, Saint Laurent Productions
Distributed by Pathé (France), CDC United Network (Mexico)
Release dates : 18 May 2024 (Cannes), 28 August 2024 (France)
Running time : 130 minutes

Seen on May 27, 2024 at Gaumont Opéra Premier, room 1

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