2024 has given us more than one crime musical about identity. Between the two, Emilia Pérez is a significant step up from Joker: Folie à Deux. Some might argue that Emilia Pérez would’ve worked better as a straightforward drama, to which I must disagree. Nothing about the film’s plot is straightforward. One could easily see this story in a soap opera. In fact, writer/director Jacques Audiard initially conceived Emilia Pérez as an opera libretto. While the project could’ve thrived on stage, cinema brings a grit that few other mediums can capture. Emilia Pérez still maintains its operatic roots, resulting in one of the most unique viewing experiences you’ll ever have.
Although this is Emilia Pérez’s story, we’re introduced through the eyes of Zoe Saldaña’s Rita, a lawyer unsatisfied with her cases and salary. When strangers put a bag over her head, what starts as a kidnapping turns into a golden opportunity. Cartel lord Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón) retains Rita’s services. A woman trapped in a male body, Juan seeks to complete her transition and fake her death. Rita helps pull this off, allowing Juan to live freely as Emilia Pérez. In any other film, this would be enough to sustain a feature run time. It’s only the first act of Emilia Pérez, though, as the film takes the characters to several unexpected places.
Originally, Gascón was only going to play Emilia, although she convinced Audiard to let her portray Juan as well. Coming from a telenovela background, Gascón is well-suited for borderline soapy material. Yet, Gascón never overacts, bringing genuine humanity to a person torn between their old and new lives. Emilia is finally living as her true self, but sacrifices have been made along the way. Namely, Emilia leaves her trophy wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and sons, none of whom realize she’s transitioned. Emilia attempts to find a balance while leaving violence in the past. Even as Emilia comes into her own, her ruthless tendencies overtake the compassionate person she wants to be.
Gascón already made history with a win at the Cannes Film Festival. She may become the first openly trans actress to receive an Oscar nomination next. Saldaña and Gomez should also be in the awards conversation for their scene-stealing work. Both actresses are household names with Saldaña starring in multiple blockbuster franchises and Gomez being in the business since childhood. Yet, the prestige crowd has continually written them off as too mainstream. Emilia Pérez takes both to new frontiers as performers, revealing depths we never knew were there. Of course, it’s no surprise that Saldaña and Gomez can sing.
French singer Camille Dalmais wrote the film’s original songs, which ignite a flame in the belly of each performer. Along with Clément Ducol’s musical score, Emilia Pérez will have you tapping your feet one minute. The next, you’ll be intensely clenching up as the characters back themselves into a corner that only gunfire can free them from. In the spirit of West Side Story, Emilia Pérez never feels inconsistent when juggling different tones. As Emilia, Rita, and Jessi seek to change their lives, it makes sense that the film would change genres as well. Emilia, in particular, attempts to turn her life from a bleak crime drama into a musical. It becomes something much more in a film that bends genres while thoughtfully exploring gender. The experience may leave you more open-minded, not only in how you view cinema, but people as well.