Emilia Pérez (2024)
Directed by: Jacques Audiard
Premise: A musical in which a Mexican lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) is recruited by a drug kingpin (Karla Sofía Gascón) to facilitate a male to female sex change so she can start a new life. Years later, now living as a woman, the former cartel leader starts an NGO to address drug violence and reunites with her wife and children under false pretenses.
What Works: Emilia Pérez is a musical but the song and dance numbers are few and far between. This actually helps the movie because the straight dramatic scenes are the best portions. The strongest aspect of Emilia Pérez is the film’s critique of the legal and political system. The story centers upon a lawyer who struggles to get by and is frustrated by corruption. She accepts an offer to work with the leader of a drug cartel who transitions from male to female to get out of the drug business and start a new life. The desire to be a woman is authentic on the kingpin’s part and the film dramatizes an interesting question: does changing our body fundamentally change who we are? The title character of Emilia Pérez outwardly appears different and behaves contrary to her previous life, starting an NGO that confronts the devastation wrought by cartel violence. But Emilia cannot entirely let go of her earlier life, namely her spouse and children but also her previous ways of doing things. Emilia Pérez comes at a time when transgender people and the politics and ideology around them have become a hot political topic. It’s not helpful to see Emilia Pérez through that lens. This story is less a contemporary social issue drama and more a Greek tragedy. It’s about fundamental questions of identity and whether we can escape our fate. The film plays better when considered that way. Emilia Pérez is handsomely produced. The camerawork and lighting are stylish and the musical numbers include some impressive choreography.
What Doesn’t: Emilia Pérez is a musical and that is the film’s downfall. A few of the songs are good, namely “El Alegato” and “El Mal” performed by Zoe Saldaña. Other songs range from mediocre to terrible and they are not well performed by the cast. The music has little utility. Few of the songs advance narrative or character. The film would be better without the music. The other major flaw of Emilia Pérez is the family story. The drug lord fakes her death and changes her identity but years later decides to reconnect with her family by claiming to be a long-lost aunt. It’s a bizarre Mrs. Doubtfire situation that plays rather silly. The lawyer recognizes Emilia right away but the wife and kids never catch on. The domestic drama serves a dramatic function but it’s not convincing.
Disc extras: Available on Netflix.
Bottom Line: Emilia Pérez is frustratingly inconsistent. Great creative choices are offset by some terrible ones. It’s an ambitious film but the moviemakers’ aspirations are not fulfilled.
Episode: #1024 (November 24, 2024)