Rating: R | Runtime: 132 minutes
Release Date: August 21st, 2024 (France) / November 1st, 2024 (USA)
Studio: Pathé / Netflix
Director(s): Jacques Audiard
Writer(s): Jacques Audiard / Jacques Audiard (opera libretto) / Boris Razon (novel Écoute)

To listen is to accept.

I’m sorry. Zoe Saldana is the supporting actress in this film? I don’t think so. It’s another Carol moment. A character’s name being the title of the film does not automatically make them the lead. Emilia Pérez is told from Rita’s perspective for about ninety percent of the runtime.

This wasn’t as bad as I’ve heard, but it’s also not good. Feels like a miniseries worth of effective drama stripped down to a two-hour musical whose ham-fisted genre bending undercuts the emotion while rendering our investment in everyone (save Rita) moot.

We’re supposed to care about Emilia making good on the guilt she feels for her actions before transitioning? Nope. We’re supposed to care about Jessi at all? Nope. We’re supposed to believe Mexico City would hail Emilia as a saint? Well … maybe. If the montages of all her good work were centered on the impact to the city rather than her conscience, I could buy it.

The only character development from start to finish, though, was Rita grabbing that gun. It’s the sole moment where someone does something specifically for someone else.

And the music? Maybe two actual songs? The rest is spoken word and those words are generally two lyrics repeated over and over until Jacques Audiard decides to pivot back to dialogue.

Audacious? More like half-baked.

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(Featured L-R) Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro and Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Pérez in EMILIA PÉREZ. Cr. Netflix © 2024.