Emilia Perez

Starring: Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Edgar Ramírez, Mark Ivanir

Director: Jacques Audiard

Based on the novel Écoute by Boris Razon

Tired of defending low-life criminals, Rita Moreno Castro (Saldaña) is anonymously contacted by none other than drug kingpin Juan "Manitas" Del Monte (Gascón). The feared criminal is ready to leave the life behind and begin a new life as a woman. He needs Rita to help him find a doctor who will perform the procedure and help him relocate his wife Jessi (Gomez) and their kids. Years after Rita successfully helps Del Monte start her new life as Emilia Perez (also Gascón), the two reconnect and start a nonprofit to help those who lose their loved ones to criminal activity. While they navigate the murky waters of the criminal underworld, they must keep Emilia's true identity a secret to protect her and her family.

I am not as familiar with French director Jacques Audiard as I should be. I have only seen his English language debut, 2018's star-studded The Sisters Brothers, but know of his other acclaimed films like A Prophet and Rust and Bone. What I do know is he is an incredibly ambitious director who likes to tackle a wide range of subject matter. This is no different, focusing the story on Mexican gangster who transitions not only their gender but what they chose to focus their life on.

Oh and did I mention it was a musical?

Yes, you read that right. Characters frequently burst into song often in moments you aren't expecting them to. This is a wild choice and works as often as it doesn't, giving the movie a zany but messy tone. I liked the idea and songs and their choreography are unique. It won't work for a lot of people but it helps the movie stand out from other films in the genre.

The film also worked a lot better in the first half than the second, with the film often dragging until its tragic conclusion. There's nothing wrong with the second half per se but I feel like it is missing out on a much more interesting story and doesn't ask the right questions. Emilia was a criminal in her past life and the film plays it safe and misses the opportunity to explore her character now being on the opposite side of that equation. She is just suddenly a good guy and never does anything that brings her back to really confronting things she did in the past.

The cast is fantastic though, with Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón leading the way. This is a huge departure from anything Saldaña has done in the past and she jumps on the opportunity to show off her incredible range. Gascón, herself a transgender actress, gets many emotional moments as she is forced to lie to her family about her true identity. This is also quite a different role for Selena Gomez, who looks uncomfortable with a mostly Spanish speaking role (which she had admitted to not being fluent in).

Filled with interesting musical choices and incredible performances from its leading ladies, this crime thriller is a unique entry into the genre that should make a small splash in the awards circuit and is worth your time if you are looking for something different.

Grade: B-

Emilia Perez is available for streaming on Netflix