Review of Emilia Pérez: an impulsive movie starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez

Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) is a Mexican lawyer tasked with writing a defense for a murder case involving the wife of a prominent media figure. It goes against her conscience to argue that the death was a suicide, ultimately winning the case. However, this film's opening is preceded by several minutes showcasing a nighttime Mexico City, where Clément Ducol's hypnotic music narrates a mysterious locale, teetering between desire and repression. The subsequent dance, choreographed by Damien Jalet, depicts Rita pondering the potential resolution to the case of "muerte violenta." 

Following her success, she is contacted by a mysterious client, who turns out to be cartel boss Juan "Manitas" Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón). After meeting with doctors in Bangkok to the tune of "La vaginoplastia," Rita finds a surgeon willing to perform the procedure, even after hearing Manitas's childhood memories of gender dysphoria ("Deseo"). After the surgery, she becomes Emilia Pérez, while Manitas's children and wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), are relocated to Switzerland for their safety. Rita receives an exorbitant sum of money, and Manitas stages a fake death to start a new life as Emilia Pérez. 

The narrative jumps in the film *Emilia Pérez*

The narrative jumps in the film *Emilia Pérez* quickly traverses the lives of Emilia and Rita, moving from Mexico City to Tel Aviv to London, stripping away the romantic aspect of the film and leaning towards comedy. This approach leads characters to sacrifice themselves in their decisions without contemplating the reasons behind their choices. The musical format justifies this frenzy, which permeates the film, from spontaneous dances to rapid plot developments; notably, Juan has already changed gender within the first quarter of the film. 

Director Jacques Audiard plays with time and audience conventions, introducing impulsive perspective shifts: after four years, Emilia wishes to reunite with her children, and the lawyer brings her to Mexico City to live with them, presenting her as a distant cousin of Manitas who has offered to help Jessi raise the kids. Jessi does not recognize Emilia and initially opposes the arrangement, ultimately agreeing to return to Mexico to reunite with Gustavo Brun, a former lover. 

The film captivates and seduces, despite its imperfections, such as narrative transitions that feel implausible: Emilia's interest in creating a non-profit organization with Rita to identify the bodies of cartel victims, and her relationship with Epifanía, a woman whose violent husband's remains have been identified. Actions that would typically span a lifetime unfold here in just over half the film. The transition from thriller to musical—accompanied by Camille Dalmais's alluring songs—is swift, as is the shift from comedy to psychological thriller. The cast, composed of actors from diverse Hispanic backgrounds, lends cohesion to the film, making it one of the year's most innovative offerings, challenging the viewer to question the credibility of what they see.