Sensational performances elevate this wobbly musical melodrama about a Mexican cartel leader who hires an undervalued lawyer to help fake her death. The truth is that Juan ‘Manitas’ Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón) has decided to transition. She wants to live life as her true self, as Emilia Pérez, and to do that, she’ll need the best team that money can buy.
Enter Rita (Zoe Saldana), the unhappy lawyer whose job is to find the right doctor to perform Emilia’s surgery. Starting a new life means leaving her wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), and their two children behind, and Emilia has prepared herself for the heartache. It’s only a matter of time, however, before Rita is called in again to help reunite Emilia with her sons.
Things get complicated. A big winner at Cannes, Jacques Audiard’s audacious song-and-dance show takes some getting used to. The plot is a little loose, and the musical numbers don’t always work.
Still, there’s much to admire here and Audiard gets the best from Gascón and Saldana. Their names will almost certainly dominate awards season conversations. Three stars.