This film isn’t going to sit right with everyone, and that’s genuinely because it’s a musical, a genre that has seen more hate in recent years than the love it once used to receive. When it becomes known that a film is a musical, people tend to stay away from it, but Emilia Pérez should not be that film. It’s a film that shouldn’t be missed and is a surprise standout from Cannes.
Emilia Pérez, follows lawyer, Rita Mora (Zoe Saldaña) who comes across drug cartel leader, Manitas who gives Rita the opportunity of a lifetime. To help him rid of their life and become the woman that they’ve always wanted to be.
Music. It’s one of the best ways to express ourselves and our true feelings. It’s why musicals can be such an important form of storytelling, and what’s the best way to tell a story about a man who feels trapped in the wrong body, longing for something else, wanting an escape from his world, even if that means leaving his wife and kids behind?
The songs in the film are all amazing, with lyrics that help move the story along. Zoe Saldaña provides a career-defining performance and excels during the musical numbers. The musical performances feel more akin to a theatre performance than a big Hollywood theatrical, but it work perfectly for this film and help keep it grounded, sticking to realism and not taking away from the topic at hand. The character she plays is one that doesn’t accept failure and strives to always get the best results, filled with determination. So when certain moments arrive, it creates these small bubbles of tension, and Saldaña handles these moments like a true professional.
Zoe Saldaña isn’t the only one to give a career-defining performance; Selena Gomez shines in this film, specifically during its musical numbers. She doesn’t have much of a presence in the film, unfortunately, and only gets two songs where she can show off her true talent, but they’re two songs that stand out throughout the film, not only with Selena’s beautiful singing voice but with the actual cinematography that comes along with the songs, making them true standouts. Selena doesn’t only deliver a phenomenal musical performance, which is to be expected of her; she gives the best dramatic performance of her life, truly being a standout during the final moments of the film, giving it her all and making you wish that she only had more screen time.
While Zoe Saldaña performs exceptionally well and Selena Gomez steals the spotlight in the third act, it’s truly Karla Sofia Gascón that steals the entire show. Tackling not just one role but two roles, providing a tear-jerking performance as Manitas as we learn about their true feelings surrounding their body. Once she becomes Emilia Pérez, it seems to only go up from there, but it becomes clear that after many years away from her kids and wife, she truly misses them. The real problems begin once Emilia has to act as their aunt instead of their parent, still hiding who she once was to both his kids and wife. Gascón plays this character with true care and intent, switching between a character that can be remorseful and full of change but also being able to keep the sinister side that still has a little bit of themselves attached to their old drug cartel life. It’s truly an amazing thing to watch on the screen. Seeing how the story of Emilia Pérez plays out and how Gascón pairs so well with both Saldaña and Gomez, it’s a beautiful sight to see, and that’s what makes this film such a special one.
Emilia Pérez is one of the best films of Cannes thus far and is easily a standout film that provides career-defining performances for Zoe Salsaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofia Gascón. Each one of them gets their time to shine in the film, bringing something unique to offer to the story both from the drama side and the musical side of things. Selena Gomez unfortunately doesn’t have as much screen time as she deserves, but her performance still proves worthy of possibly getting nominations for Best Supporting Actress.
Don’t let this film being a musical turn you away from it. It’s a phenomenal, beautiful, and enchanting film about a transgender woman’s journey and her fight with her old life. Like I mentioned previously, there’s no better way to tell this story than by doing a musical. It was the right choice, and Jacques Audiard did it perfectly.
Emilia Pérez is coming soon to theaters.
