I really like musicals. It is one among my favourite genres of movie.
We used to get much more of them (with some musicals even profitable the Greatest Image Oscar), however the style has slowed right down to a trickle as of late. That’s why 2024 has been such an thrilling yr, since we’ve gotten a lot of musicals (for higher or for worse). We had Joker: Folie a Deux (which some may name “a catastrophe”). We acquired the Imply Women remake, which some have been even shocked was a musical in any respect, and we acquired Moana 2, amongst others.
The juggernaut this yr was, after all, Depraved, however one film that was surprisingly a musical was Emilia Perez, which is a couple of cartel kingpin who employs a lawyer so as to endure transition remedy to turn out to be a girl and begin a brand new life. The story is fascinating, and I liked an incredible deal about it. However, do you need to know one side that I didn’t love concerning the film? The precise musical half! I’ll get into why in a number of moments, however first, let me speak about what I actually preferred concerning the movie.
Oh, and spoilers up forward.
Why I Favored It As A Film: The Plot Of A Transitioning Cartel Boss Is Fascinating And Pulled Off Successfully
First off, I really like the plot of this movie, in addition to the execution (for essentially the most half anyway). The film is loosely primarily based off of the French novel, Ecoute, by Boris Razon, and it takes a moderately fascinating method to its storytelling. You see, it begins with the story of an under-appreciated lawyer (performed deftly by Zoe Saldana), solely to largely change gears towards the center as soon as Emilia Perez comes into the image.
Saldana’s character, Rita Mora Castro, receives a name, after which ultimately speaks to a cartel kingpin named Juan “Manitas” (which suggests “handyman” in Spanish) Del Monte. “Manitas” needs to depart the Cartel life behind and transition into a girl, and from there, we largely comply with the character that the “handyman” has transitioned into – one Emilia Perez (performed masterfully by Karla Sofia Gascon).
I really like how all of that is dealt with. The gender-affirming surgical procedure just isn’t the focus of the story. Quite, it happens, and after we see “Manitas” once more, she is in her new physique. The story then shifts to Emilia discovering a brand new objective (and a brand new love) in her life.
Emilia, realizing her half in destroying so many households in her former life, decides to begin a nonprofit to find victims of Cartel violence with Castro’s assist. In the meantime, she is having points together with her former spouse (performed by Selena Gomez), as she’s returned to the person she had an affair with throughout her marriage to “Manitas.”
All of that is actually fascinating, and I liked each minute of it. Nicely, that’s till…
Why I Did not Like It As A Musical: The Musical Numbers Are Too Abrupt
Right here’s the factor. I’m not usually a fan of what may be thought of “offbeat musicals.” Positive, I really like Little Store of Horrors and The Blues Brothers as a lot as the following particular person. However, the factor about these two aforementioned motion pictures is that the music is baked into the tales. For instance, The Little Store of Horrors from 1960 was initially a horror comedy directed by the late Roger Corman. So, when it was remade right into a musical again within the ‘80s, the songs have been undoubtedly intentional. It additionally modified the vibe of the unique story utterly.
Now, whereas I’m not saying the music in Emilia Perez isn’t intentional, I’ll say that it feels much more jarring right here than in say, the opposite aforementioned movies.
Actually, most of the musical numbers virtually look like they arrive out of nowhere. For example, there’s one scene the place Perez and Castro are at a fundraiser, after which a musical quantity breaks out the place Saldana is rolling round on tables. I imply, it’s actually entertaining, but it surely utterly threw me out of the second.
I felt this fashion via a lot of the film. This can be a movie that could be higher upon a second viewing, as a result of I used to be always pulled out of the story with just about each musical second.
Nonetheless, it’s not all unhealthy. There’s one particular track titled “Papa” that’s important to the general story, and it was a second like this that made me want that the remainder of the songs felt simply as natural.
Why I Favored It As A Film: The Performing Is Distinctive
The 2025 Golden Globe nominations have been introduced, and Saldana, Gomez, and Gascon have all been nominated of their respective classes.
And, sure. I feel all of those nominations are effectively deserved. The performing is without doubt one of the the explanation why I used to be pulled into the story so totally, because it’s all actually good. At any time when the characters spoke or argued with each other, it felt real, and I particularly thought Gascon’s efficiency was sturdy, because it totally felt lived in. This is smart, as a result of Gascon is a trans actress herself.
Now, take note. I considered this film as a straight male. My colleague, Corey Chichizola, felt a bit conflicted concerning the movie, and his causes are completely legitimate. Nonetheless, I discovered myself simply having fun with the story, and I believed the actors all match the roles that they got.
There’s one specific second the place Gomez’s character needs to take her youngsters to stay together with her fiancé, and Perez, who is definitely their guardian as effectively (although, Gomez’s character doesn’t know this), completely forbids it.
The blowout between them is seismic, and I used to be completely riveted, which is certainly as a result of phenomenal performing. However, that simply makes me take into consideration the music once more…
Why I Did not Like It As A Musical: I Did not Discover Any Of The Music To Be Very Good
Music is, after all, utterly subjective. My Spotify playlist appears to be like utterly completely different from yours (except you want Light Big, MF DOOM, and Masayoshi Takanaka, that’s). So, simply don’t take this personally once I say that I didn’t like any of the music in Emilia Perez. Not one track.
Now, this isn’t to say that the music isn’t good. There’s each a frenetic, but in addition somber high quality to most of the songs, and so they do match the general temper that’s being established with this story (although, as talked about earlier, it may be fairly jarring at instances). With songs written by French singer Camille, and the rating completed by Clement Ducol, the soundtrack is actually dynamic.
That mentioned, I nonetheless don’t like several of it. I don’t discover any of it catchy, and worst of all, none of it’s memorable for me.
Ultimately, I simply stored wishing that I preferred the music, for the reason that choreography may very well be fairly good in among the livelier numbers. However, ultimately, this simply felt like a musical that didn’t have to be a musical in any respect. Alas, if solely I preferred the songs.
Why I Favored It As A Film: I Was Emotionally Invested By The Finish Of The Movie
Okay, so despite the fact that the music bugged me for a majority of the movie, I’ll say that by the tip of it, I used to be utterly invested within the story. The narrative coalesces in a spectacular ending that’s tragic but in addition predictable. Even so, I used to be undoubtedly engaged in all of those characters’ lives, and the ending actually impacted me greater than I anticipated it could.
That is no small feat, as a result of I spent a substantial amount of the movie rolling my eyes and groaning at any time when the music would kick in once more. That is simply one more reason why I want this movie wasn’t a musical – I feel it could have been a lot stronger if it simply performed it straight.
That mentioned, would folks be speaking about it now if it weren’t a musical? That’s a query that I’ve been wrestling with ever since I watched it. As a result of despite the fact that I loved it by the tip, I don’t know if the film has sufficient to tell apart it with out the musical side.
Actually, it may be as a result of of the music that I admire the story extra. That will not make a lot sense, however I used to be so bored with the songs after some time that I used to be simply completely happy when the plot acquired again on monitor once more.
Nonetheless, ultimately, the story itself is nice sufficient that I do suggest the movie, music however.
Have you ever watched Emilia Perez but? For extra on different Golden Globe-nominated movies, you should definitely swing by right here usually.