An exceptional filmmaker, Jacques Audiard once again succeeds in surprising and dazzling us with his new offering, Emilia Pereza breathtaking musical thriller set in the world of Mexican drug cartels.
Filmed almost entirely in Spanish, Emilia Perez tells the story of Rita (Zoe Saldaña), a brilliant lawyer who works for a firm with a reputation for defending criminals.
Unhappy in her job, she sees the opportunity to escape her daily life when Manitas (Karla Sofía Gascón), a Mexican drug trafficker, asks her to help carry out a plan that he has been secretly refining for years: finally become the woman he always dreamed of being.
In exchange for a large amount of money, Rita will help Manitas find the best doctor in the world to carry out her sex change operation. She will also orchestrate a staging aimed at making everyone, including Manitas’ family, believe that he has been murdered.
But three years later, Manitas resurfaces in Rita’s life in the guise of Emilia Pérez, a businesswoman, telling her that she wants to see her former wife (Selena Gomez) and their children again.
Jacques Audiard has accustomed us to changing style with each of his films. After having notably signed a prison thriller (A prophet)a melodrama (Of rust and bone) and a western (The Brothers Sisters), the French filmmaker this time explores the codes of the musical, while flirting with the gangster film and even the telenovela.
The result is breathtaking! With its audacious staging punctuated by sublime musical numbers, Audiard impresses and offers a great moment of cinema. Collectively awarded the Best Actress Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival, actresses Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez illuminate the film by delivering powerful and moving performances. We can already predict Oscar nominations for them.
Note: 4,5/5
Emilia Perez is currently showing in several theaters in Quebec and will be released on Netflix on November 13.
