Emilia Pérez (2024)

Emilia Pérez (2024). 2h 12m | R

“Love it or hate it, Emilia Perez is the biggest swing of the year, combining so many genres and themes in a swirl of cinematic gusto that itu0026#39;s a wonder the film never collapses under its own weight. Itu0026#39;s an entrancing movie from first frame to last, one that dazzles you at every turn even if the pieces arenu0026#39;t quite all there.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePerhaps the most intriguing part of the premise (and the part that I was most worried about) is how it handles its musical numbers, but thankfully the film delivers in spades. The film is packed full of songs but not one of them feels unnecessary, and theyu0026#39;re genuinely fun romps. They range from heartfelt, to dramatic, to incredibly catchy, to all 3. The highlight is El Mal, in which Zoe Saldana raps about the corruption of the Mexican government with style to spare and a tune that absolutely will not leave your mind. Thereu0026#39;s even a song about gender confirmation surgery, how can you not love it? I look at a musical like Joker 2, where each number is just an incredibly lifeless display of characters walking around whisper-singing tunes that add almost nothing to the movie, and the difference couldnu0026#39;t be more stark. Even as some of the numbers can feel a bit amateurish, theyu0026#39;re so alive and energetic.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEmilia Perez harkens back to an older approach to storytelling, where the primary drive is the characteru0026#39;s emotions rather than the machinations of a plot. There is an engaging narrative, to be sure, one that travels from Bangkok to Switzerland, to the villas of Mexico City to its harsh and remote desert. But at its core itu0026#39;s a modern-day opera. I was sceptical about the musical aspect going in but it truly does feel as though song is the only language for which the emotions of the characters can be expressed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWith all the bonkers plot twists and musical numbers, itu0026#39;s imperative to have a cast thatu0026#39;s game, and thankfully they more than impress. Saldana as embittered lawyer Rita looking to do good goes from cynical to hopeful to fearing for her life, never missing a beat and bringing down the house in her songs. Selena Gomez as the cartel leaderu0026#39;s wife Jessi is a character I wish appeared more often, but she leaves an impression with her screentime-one conversation between her and Emilia might just be the best acting youu0026#39;ll see all year. But itu0026#39;s Karla Sofía Gascon as Emilia Perez who emerges as the best performance, tying the entire film together and crucially connecting us to her emotional journey, and by extension the emotions of the whole film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEmilia Perez covers a remarkable amount of territory in little time, and touches on such a wide range of issues that it can be accused of shallowness. But I see it more as context for the characters personalities and feelings. It addresses topics like government corruption, discrimination, and drug cartels not because it has the answers but because they fuel the fires burning within the characters. We all live in a society where weu0026#39;re forced to coexist with problems beyond our control, so too does Emilia, Rita, and Jessi. Emilia Perez is a movie about ourselves: how we choose to live our lives, how we choose to deal with our past demons, how we choose to be remembered. Through all the gunfights and song numbers and chaos itu0026#39;s ultimately the story of one womanu0026#39;s journey to become a better person, and it ends up being something undeniably touching and beautiful.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFinal score: 81/100.”