۴۹/۱۵
On the French title card, the Indian city is misspelled as “Dehli”
Emilia Pérez follows four remarkable women in Mexico, each searching for their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia calls on Rita, an underappreciated lawyer, to help her fake her death so she can finally live authentically as her true self. Karla Sofía Gascón talks about the two years of preparation that led to this challenging role in Jacques Audiard’s film and the two extremes of her own personality that she had to play as Emilia and Manitas. Jacques Audiard said he was inspired by the idea of a musical from a chapter in a novel about a drug dealer who yearns to change his identity.
El Alegato Written by Camille (as C
Featured in Latino Slant: La Bamba Remake, Tarantino has a BIG Mouth, the SPICE of Jenna & Selena Shocks! (2024). Dalmais), Clément Ducol and Jacques Audiard Starring Zoe Saldana. You can’t expect what Jacques Audiard has to offer.
The approaches to direction, writing and atmosphere are well thought out
Audiard is a filmmaker who always surprises me with his work, as he makes stories that are interesting and very different from other films I have seen. The concept of a musical about Mexico, drug dealers, gender identity and corruption is very strange and a bit chaotic, but with Audiard’s direction and approach, it still worked. The script explores the journeys of the characters and his inventive style really adds a lot to the setting. Many of the characters, while certainly not all likable, at the same time you still get to observe these characters and observe who they are and what their purposes are.
While some of the vocals and songs didn’t quite work, as the song itself offered itself
Thanks to the good cinematography, production and musical score, the performances are great, especially Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, as they both gave excellent performances. As a musical, the songwriting is quite good, as there are some really memorable songs that I still have burned into my head. I appreciate that the film uses themes of transgender identity and depth in conjunction with the musical moments quite well! The writing is good, but I have to admit that I wasn’t sold on all aspects as certain aspects felt chaotic and a bit too melodramatic.