Everything is strange in ‘Emilia Pérez’. Both its generic mix: musical a la ‘Annette’, melodrama with echoes of Almodóvar, thriller with Mexican drug traffickers, drama with social and queer discourse… As well as its conception: French production by Yves Saint-Laurent where French is not spoken, directed by a filmmaker, Jacques Audiard, with a filmography very far from this type of proposals (‘A prophet’, ‘Of rust and bone’), with songs composed by Camille in Spanish! and with Mexican leading characters played by actresses who are not Mexican: Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón from Madrid…
‘Emilia Perez’ is a very strange hybrid, a mole with all kinds of ingredients that, surprisingly, works wonderfully. After a fabulous start, with a musical number at the level of the aforementioned ‘Annette’, the film advances through increasingly slippery territories in terms of its dramatic coherence: a musical that transforms into a narco-thriller and then takes a somersault towards the most kitsch melodrama. A transition between tones and genres that has its equivalent in the physical and moral change that the protagonist experiences.
The film always progresses bordering on the ridiculous: Selena speaks strangely, there are quite tacky musical numbers, the melodramatic becomes a soap opera, no one believes the redemption process… However, miraculously, she never falls into it. On the contrary, it reaches such sublime peaks – the drug dealer’s sung confession, the scene with the daughter in bed, the discussion through the split screen, the shootout with a ‘Duel in the Sun’ ending – that one cannot stop marveling. for the director’s ability to handle extremes and make everything come together dramatically.
After triumphing at the Cannes festival (Jury Prize and for all actresses), ‘Emilia Perez’ has deservedly become the main favorite to be the new ‘The zone of interest’, ‘All business on the front’ , ‘Drive My Car’… at this year’s Oscars. In addition to being the favorite in the International Film category, it would not be strange if it were also nominated for Best Film, Director, Lead Actress (a role played by Karla Sofía Gascón) and, the most popular, a wonderful Zoe Saldana as Actress. distribution.
