As a cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the rich tapestry of global cinema, I must say that “Emilia Pérez” left me feeling rather underwhelmed. While the performances, particularly Karla Sofía Gascón’s riveting portrayal of Emilia, were undeniably captivating, the film as a whole seemed to fall short of its ambitious goals.
Emilia Pérez initially expresses dissatisfaction with her situation, as portrayed by lawyer Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña). Struggling financially and often dealing with questionable clients, she yearns for change. Suddenly, she receives an unexpected call, a voice promising immense wealth. In her quest for financial freedom, she accepts this proposition, which later reveals itself to be from a well-known drug lord. This powerful individual discloses a personal desire: Emilia is to undergo a full gender transition and embark on a new life in another location.
In a turn of events, Castro finishes her task for this influential figure who was infamous for causing extensive violence and destruction. Later on, this individual adopts the name Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón) and moves away from her previous existence, which included two children and partner Jessie Del Monte (Selena Gomez). Four years pass, and Pérez reconnects with Castro, proposing a fresh plan. They would all go back to Mexico, accompanied by Monte and her brood. Now masquerading as “Aunt Pérez”, Emilia is attempting to reconcile her past and present lives.
In comparison to all his past films, the Audiard feature “Emilia Pérez” seems most reminiscent of his 2018 English-language production “The Sisters Brothers“. Both films delve into middle-aged assassins pondering if they can escape a violent and gun-filled existence. However, unlike “Pérez“, “The Sisters Brothers” had a leisurely pace, even during scenes where its main characters were threatening innocent bystanders. In contrast, “Emilia Pérez” moves at breakneck speed, leading to tragic outcomes. Instead of recalling Audiard’s brilliant collaborative screenwriting skills on “A Prophet“, “Pérez “brings to mind rushed musical biopics due to the vast amount of narrative ground it covers within a single movie.
In the second half of the movie, Emilia Perez’s storyline seems to struggle due to her frequent shifts between yearning for her old family and becoming an activist. These two themes are intertwined tightly and neither gets a chance to fully develop in Audiard’s direction. This is noticeable in the underdeveloped subplot about the surviving relatives of “the disappeared,” which has been a powerful subject in many films before. In this movie, these characters are mostly confined to the background, with only brief appearances here and there, allowing the narrative to focus on more affluent characters. If Emilia Perez had taken some time to let the story unfold naturally, the voices of “the disappeared” could have been given more depth and dimension. Instead, these characters, along with others like Gustavo Brun (Édgar Ramírez) and her sons, fail to make a lasting impression as fully-realized individuals. There are many people in Emilia Perez, but few leave a significant impact as three-dimensional human beings.
In this film, the scenes and musical numbers sometimes feel unfinished or inconsistent. The songs written by Camille, a recurring element in the story of Emilia Pérez, are not typical Broadway-style tunes. Instead, they often resemble the harmonious dialogue from the movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, where characters’ conversations are sung as harmonies. For example, a conflict between Castor and Dr. Wasserman (Mark Ivanir), an Israeli surgeon, is portrayed through a duet where they sing their opposing viewpoints. Important emotional exchanges between characters also involve singing their lines to each other. However, unlike The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, most of Emilia Pérez consists of ordinary dialogue, and the songs are largely absent during much of the third act.
Bravo to Audiard and the team for creating an innovative movie musical style that doesn’t have many similar predecessors. Unlike Joker: Folie a Deux, Emilia Pérez isn’t shy about incorporating extravagant elements such as elaborate physicality or large groups of backup dancers in its grand melodic scenes. The accompanying instrumentals for these tunes are impressively bold, brash, and bursting with energy. However, it’s a pity that the songs themselves lack originality. Camille’s lyrics aren’t particularly intriguing, even when tackling highly dramatic themes. Despite the catchy rhythm in some tracks, the lyrics often support rather unremarkable writing.
In a song titled “La Vaginoplastia, set in a hospital focusing on gender-affirming surgeries, there’s an opportunity for clever wordplay and perhaps the inclusion of trans singers with engaging vocals and witty lyrics. However, this particular tune features only cisgender individuals repetitively singing phrases like “from woman to man, man to woman,” offering little diversity. Subsequently, Castor and Wasserman perform a number where Wasserman sings about the idea that “you can’t alter the essence” through gender-affirming medical treatment. Simultaneously, Castor reiterates her pro-trans stance, even turning to address non-cis viewers with a promise to “always stand by your side!” One of her lines in this song serves as an affirmation for the trans community similar to “love is love is love.” In the end, it’s heartening that Marsha P. Johnson would appreciate such a message.
In many songs by Emilia Pérez, there is a lack of creativity that detracts from their potential appeal. Also, these brief tunes often fail to establish distinctive personas swiftly. Additionally, the way these musical numbers are portrayed visually can diminish their impact. Frequently setting them against dark backgrounds creates more frustration than excitement. Audiard and editor Juliette Welfling, however, tend to break up these song-and-dance sequences with an excessive number of cuts, which even undermines more vibrant scenes like “Mi Camino.” This number, sung by Monte and Brun in a karaoke bar, boasts a stunning neon-lit backdrop filled with endless reflections of the two characters in surrounding mirrors. Unfortunately, appreciating this dynamic scenery is made difficult due to frequent cuts to new shots by Welfling and Audiard.
In Emilia Perez, the camera work by Audiard and cinematographer Paul Guilhaume is quite unusual, with a particularly noticeable close-up technique on characters such as Castro that occurs frequently. Unfortunately, the film’s blocking and framing seem to lack creativity overall. What’s most frustrating about Emilia Perez is that the arrangement of characters on screen fails to show much personality. The color scheme and lighting choices in the movie are underwhelming, with an overuse of muted colors and dim lighting that often makes a crucial nighttime gunfight difficult to understand.
In an attempt to create an unusual storyline to captivate audiences, Emilia Pérez seems overly reliant on conventional musical, visual, and narrative elements. The gritty portrayals of Bangkok or Mexican cities by Jacques Audiard, for example, are reminiscent of numerous European/American films exploring “foreign” landscapes. Stereotypical representations of tattooed criminals or armed mercenaries can also be found in contemporary dramas centered around the “war on drugs”. Characters like Castro, Monte, and Pérez often discuss challenging the norm in their conversations. Unfortunately, their roles in Emilia Pérez’s third act adhere to typical female character archetypes commonly seen in mainstream cinema. The screenplay’s overt moralistic messages also lack the risk-taking approach required for the movie to succeed. Despite Jacques Audiard’s bold claims regarding Emilia Perez, he fails to deliver the chaotic, subversive narrative that this film necessitates to flourish.
In the movie, Karla Sofía Gascón’s performance stands out as deeply complex and profoundly human. Since Gugu Mbatha-Raw masterfully embodied 1940s film noir leading ladies in the rather dull Motherless Brooklyn, a role that matched her abilities so well, Gascón’s portrayal has been equally impressive for the movie it belongs to. Upon reunion with Castro, she sings about her psychological state post-transition, using sarcastic lyrics. The way Gascón sings is captivating. The amount of subtle emotions and years of experience she infuses into each word Pérez speaks is truly remarkable. Her portrayal of Pérez, who carefully chooses her words when talking to Monte, also contains many intriguing layers.
Emilia Perez excels at making characters feel deeply real and relatable. However, the movie as a whole doesn’t push boundaries, opting instead to offer what audiences are accustomed to. The scattered musical sequences, though catchy, lack depth and originality compared to more innovative dark musicals like The Lure. In terms of visuals, Emilia Perez seems to draw inspiration from older films rather than creating fresh, unique imagery. Additionally, Audiard’s script ventures into territory frequently covered by cisgender filmmakers when portraying trans characters, which feels repetitive and unoriginal.
Yet again, surgeries and medical procedures remain captivating subjects for non-trans filmmakers. In the movie “Emilia Pérez,” the story is told primarily from a cisgender heterosexual character’s perspective and features only one transgender character. This repetitive pattern points to a deeper creative decay in the industry, as it continues to adhere to conventional trans-centric narratives. The reluctance to venture beyond these norms permeates throughout the entire production, resulting in a lack of vitality where there should be boldness. Gascón’s performance in “Emilia Pérez” showcases unwavering dedication. She deserves a more robust film to support her outstanding portrayal. Following “Mean Girls,” “Joker: Folie a Deux,” and other disappointments, our expectations for the 2024 musical cinema landscape rest with you, “Wicked.” Let’s hope it will improve next year’s cinematic performance.
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2024-10-30 13:15