#TIFF24: “EMILIA PÉREZ” REVIEW

By David Baldwin

Rita (Zoe Saldaña) is a defence lawyer in Mexico City with the uncanny ability of helping her wealthy clients stay out of jail. She is contacted by a local drug kingpin for assistance in finding the right discreet medical centres to complete their gender affirmation surgery from man to woman. She needs to help get the kingpin’s young wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children to safety in Switzerland as well. Four years later, Rita meets the fully transitioned Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón) who now wants to become reacquainted with her family.

Oh, and did I mention that this is a full-blown rock opera filled head to toe with songs – almost all entirely in Spanish – while also being a Shakespearean tragedy?

EMILIA PÉREZ is a sumptuous fever dream that should not work. But Co-Writer/Director Jacques Audiard manages to balance all of the ideas and genres (including it also being a crime thriller and a moving exploration of discovering one’s true self in the LGBTQ+ community) into one cohesive and beautiful film. I loved the look and the feel, and felt the songs and dance sequences – yes there are plenty of those as well – were exquisite. While I wish there was a true showstopping number, I still feel like we are gifted a solid soundtrack that will get lots of future replay on Spotify.

If I hold anything really again EMILIA PÉREZ, it’s that there are a few subplots and characters that feel extraneous and take away from the commanding performances by the lead trio of Saldaña, Gomez and Gascón. This is a story about powerful, flawed women first and foremost, and they each slay in their own way from start to finish. There’s a reason why the Cannes Film Festival bestowed the Best Actress prize to the three of them (plus Adriana Paz) rather than highlighting only one of these spectacular performers. So why should we care about characters like Edgar Ramírez’s Gustavo? Some of this leads to sag in the middle that I wish was tightened up a bit better, but I will admit that it’s easy to look past and forgive once you see what a distinct and unique sensory feast the rest of the film is.

EMILIA PÉREZ screens at TIFF ’24:

Monday, September 9 at 6:15PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Tuesday, September 10 at 11:30PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Friday, September 13 at 5:45PM and 9:00PM at TIFF Lightbox

Saturday, September 14 at 9:00AM at TIFF Lightbox and 9:45PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Sunday, September 15 at 12:00PM at TIFF Lightbox