Been having this on my watchlist since release, outside of hearing some chirpings of Selena Gomez’s Spanish and some backlash from the LGBT community, I really knew next to nothing about this film. I recognize that this is a trans story, and I find it to be riveting on a lot of levels.
I think it was bold to just have a story like this even start production, I don’t think we’re far removed from times still that this movie would have been seen as completely un-releasable. Me being a cis gendered heterosexual male, I must admit that I don’t relate to those problems of identity. So, the story presented to me is something I found really profound. I can see how people in the LGBT community might find this too on the surface or even offensive, and I do admit that the script is really hand holdy when it comes to telling you how to feel, but I do think that it’s an interesting story to tell regardless. The story of Manitas is a simple story of identity crisis, he comes from a background of crime and is expected to continue this empire he built, but he isn’t happy in his own body, so he creates a life and is happy! Then he wants to do more with this new life of joy that he has created and wants to spread it. To me, that’s relatable. How will he be able to live in the façade she created? That’s a good concept, the script just falls short on those things from time to time.
When you’re Jacques Audiard and you’re presumedly a cis gendered heterosexual French director, I think you should expect backlash for making a trans story taking place in Mexico using a language you don’t speak. I feel like a lot of the on the surface mistakes in the script is just an unfortunate biproduct of things getting lost in translation, especially in a language that isn’t your native tongue. Even with a trans lead, unless they are also producing the movie I doubt much meaningful input is being seriously taken. I do think this movie took a big swing, and with those if you don’t hit it out of the park then criticism will be met in things as subjective as movies. For me, the musical numbers really didn’t work. Just about all of them, except for the final crescendo song, felt so out of placed and forced. If you look at Wicked, all those songs move the plot forward. Here, there’s literally random dance numbers in a sex change hospital that holds no merit to anything.
When it comes to the performances, brava. Zoe Saldaña as Rita and Karla Sofía Gascón as the titular Emilia Pérez are phenomenal. Out of place musical numbers aside, Zoe Saldaña is talented singer/dancer and deserves all the flowers, but don’t forget the flowers for Karla Sofía Gascón. She has two performances here and she kills it in both! Gascón delivers an empathetic performance even though you know that her success is literally built on drugs and blood, she’s unapologetically moved forward from that, and you care for her even if all her intentions are purely selfish. She’s more of the main conduit to the story than a main character or full-on protagonist, that part probably goes to Zoe Saldaña. Which leads to my next point of Selena Gomez. I don’t think she’s bad by any means, and when it comes to her Spanish, I’m told by trusted Spanish speakers that even though at times her Spanish is indecipherable, it’s not as terrible as criticized. With all that being said, why not cast someone else who’s a fluent Spanish speaker? She’s all draw for the movie.
My next beef I have is that you have both Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez up for best supporting actress at the Golden Globes, but Saldaña literally has top billing in the movie, and I personally feel like she serves better as the main character, because it’s really from her perspective. It sucks because it’s just whatever the studios think will win the most awards.
This is a weird movie at the end of the day, I can see how this movie is simply not for everyone. Even with the trailer it doesn’t really give off Spanish musical trans story vibes. But if you’re able to get past that aspect I think that you’re still able to find the heart in the movie.
🌟🌟🌟1/2
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