Going into this musical, I’d already heard a fair amount of chatter about its various scandals, which I’m sure affected my overall perception of it. But even without that foreknowledge, I’m pretty sure it still would’ve set off my spidey senses. At the halfway mark for Best Picture nominees, and this one wasn’t my favorite.
What’s It About?
Rita is a lawyer working in Mexico, good at what she does but ground down from having to defend guilty, powerful people who’ve done terrible things. One night, she’s abducted and brought before a notorious narco, who has a surprising request: she’s trans and wants to Rita to secretly facilitate the arrangements for her transition.
Who’s in It?
Zoe Saldaña plays Rita, and hearing her sing reminded me how little we got to hear her sing in The Book of Life. The character does a lot more sing-talking, but on the occasions when she gets a chance, her voice is great and her acting is on point. Karla Sofía Gascón plays Emilia, the eponymous narco, and Selena Gomez plays her wife Jessi, who’s kept in the dark about her spouse’s situation. Things get real, real messy there! Edgar Ramírez also appears in the film.
What’s It Nominated For?
Emilia Pérez was nominated for thirteen Oscars:
· Best Picture
· Best Leading Actress – Karla Sofía Gascón
· Best Supporting Actress – Zoe Saldaña
· Best Adapted Screenplay
· Best Director
· Best Cinematography
· Best Original Score
· Best Original Song – “El Mal”
· Best Original Song – “Mi Camino”
· Best Hair & Makeup
· Best Editing
· Best Sound
What Do I Love About It?
· Okay, this one is gonna be short!
· Most of the score doesn’t appeal to me that much, but every once in a while, it hits on a song or a motif that’s really lovely.
· Some of the songs are staged pretty cool. The film employs a wide range of visual styles for the production numbers, and they’re always interesting to look at.
· I’ve encountered a number of stories that deal with a spouse/parent transitioning, and it’s a particular minefield here. I won’t spoil the details, but Emilia, Jessi, and their kids wind up in a super thorny situation that’s interesting to watch play out.
Warnings
Violence, sexual content, language, drinking/smoking/drug use, misgendering/deadnaming, and strong thematic elements.
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