who longs to change his identity
Narrative
Emilia Pérez follows four remarkable women in Mexico, each searching for their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia enlists Rita, an underrated lawyer, to help fake her death so she can finally live authentically as her true self. IMDb editor Arno Kazarian offers sneak peeks at the 12 films he’s screening at the 2024 New York Film Festival, including Anora and the dangerous, curiously erotic Misericordia. Jacques Audiard said that he was inspired by the idea of a musical from a chapter in a novel about a drug dealer.
El Alegato Written by Camille (as C
On the French title card, the Indian city is misspelled as “Dehli”. Tarantino has a BIG MOUTH, SPICE by Jenny & Selena shocks! (2024). Dalmais), Clément Ducol and Jacques Audiard Starring Zoe Saldana.
Rita soon learns that this is no temporary assignment
EMILIA PEREZ (2024) Jacques Audiard’s opera EMILIA PEREZ is a wild ride that combines neo-noir, soap operas and musicals in an adaptation of its own libretto (which was inspired by the book Ecoute by Boris Razon). The main character is a Mexican drug cartel kingpin known as Manitas (‘Maintenance’) who wants to change into a woman (played by Karla Sofia Gascon). He pays handsomely for a budding lawyer, Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldana), who secretly handles the details. Manitas is married and has two children with Jessi (Selena Gomez).
Gascon is a strong presence everywhere
To say that things get complicated for Emilia, Rita and Jessi is an understatement. Audiard and his collaborators jump from emotion to emotion. The characters burst into song and dance with a live soundtrack by Camille and Clement Ducola. Saldana performs several numbers with the exuberance, if not the technical skill, of Gomez (naturally).
Paul Guilhaum’s cinematography is excellent
The moving dramas aren’t always smoothly aligned, but Audiard and his cast lend a sympathetic gravity to it all. The theme that it is never possible to completely escape one’s past is effectively fulfilled. EMILIA PEREZ is that rarity when a film combines familiar elements that border on clichés and feels fresh at the same time. No need to waste time endlessly scrolling—here’s a whole slew of new movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix this month.
