By now, you’ve probably heard French director Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” is a musical about a man who transitions to a woman. Based on knowing no more than this, you’ve likely already determined whether you want to see “Emilia Perez” or not. Let me gently suggest that this film is not at all what you expect.
Coming at this with no political axe to grind, I can safely recommend “Emilia Perez” with the caveat that you’ve never seen anything like this before.
Manitas is a Mexican drug lord who seeks out successful, high-priced attorney Rita to ask (nee demand) her help in gender reassignment surgery. We learn Manitas has always harbored a certain level of gender dysphoria, but his primary goal here is to fake his own death and begin a new life away from the drug trade. Preferring to stay away from Mexican or American doctors, Rita scours the world to locate a surgeon who will help – and maintain absolute silence regarding her client’s identity.
Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon plays the title character, as well as Manitas – a feat perhaps only matching that of actor Jaye Davidson in the 1992 hit “The Crying Game.” Manitas is all masculine “drug lord” muscle. He’s a big, forceful guy, used to getting his way. Emilia is big, gentle, and loveable. It’s a testament to Gascon that she is able to play both roles so convincingly.
Gascon turns in one of the most remarkable performances of anyone in any film this year – nee this decade. Yet, the real star of the show is Rita, played by the versatile Zoe Saldana. She’s the one who spearheads the secret surgery, and helps Emilia adapt to her new life – a chore which also involves relocating Manitas’ wife and children halfway around the world. They are unaware of Manitas’ rebirth as Emilia. Along with the rest of the world, they believe Manitas died in a drug-war shootout.
As Manitas’ wife Jessi, I cannot impress upon you how truly awful singer Selena Gomez is in this role. Surely, there must have been some other actress, fluent in Spanish and English, who could have filled these shoes. Gomez was obviously hired for her name, but her lack of acting talent is the only true drawback of what is otherwise one of this year’s best films.
Loosely adapted by Audiard from Boris Razon’s 2018 novel “Ecoute,” “Emilia Perez” would seem to be showing us that gender transitions are nothing to fear, and that it is not always performed for the obvious reasons. But then the narrative takes a surprising turn. Four years after re-emerging as Emilia, she decides she wants to redevelop a relationship with her children. Now remember, the kids think their father is dead; they’re too young to understand the reality of Emilia’s situation; and Jessi has undoubtedly by now moved on with her life. What to do?
Again, employing the help and guidance of her “personal fixer,” Emilia leans on Rita to somehow reunite the family. Posing as a cousin of her deceased husband, Emilia invites Jessi and the kids back to Mexico to live with her. Since money is not a factor, Jessi obliges, and the results are staggeringly positive. It is during this middle act where the character of Emilia Perez is truly born. She and Rita create a non-profit to help identify the remains of the victims of cartel violence. Emilia becomes a bit of a local hero as she helps other drug lord widows and families move on from their past lives to lead new enriching ones.
Again, all would appear to be fine once again. Emilia gets to see her kids grow and mature into teenagers, while living her life with a purpose she can obviously relate to. But again, Audiard’s narrative soon takes us in yet another direction when one of Jessi and Manitas’ sons tells Emilia she “smells like Papa.” To give away more plot points would only serve to spoil this completely unique gem of a motion picture.
Now, what we haven’t mentioned is the music. Yes, it is true that “Emilia Perez” is a musical. But in this case, the songs are used to help us understand the innermost feelings of the characters. (And even though Perez has a career as a singer, Saldana and Gascon benefit most from this uncommon structure.) Truth be known, “Emilia Perez” doesn’t have to be a musical at all. In other words, if the songs were eliminated altogether, this film would stand on its own as a perfectly fine piece of work.
As in Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” there are only a couple production numbers. Most of the songs simply take us inside the heads of the characters. In fact, the ensuing action typically halts, the character relates his or her feelings through music, and then the action resumes. The songs are more of an aside to the audience – as opposed to a method of advancing the plot.
Another comparison here might be the 2011 Best Picture winner “The Artist.” Yes, it probably won because it was a silent film. But it didn’t have to be silent to succeed. If the actors had spoken, “The Artist” would have still been an excellent film. The “silent movie” aspect wasn’t simply a gimmick. Same with “Emilia Perez.” The musical numbers are not merely a gimmick. The film doesn’t live or die because of the music. The songs are not a distraction; neither are they completely necessary.
If we get past the one unfortunate casting error, “Emilia Perez” is one of this year’s best films – certainly the year’s most unique. I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this before – and aren’t likely to again. “Emilia Perez” is a musical, but it is strictly for adults. It is also, yes, a film with a trans lead character. It is also a comedy, and a crime drama. All neatly rolled into one nice little two-hour distraction from our daily lives.
