Emilia Pérez

A devious yet frequently overlooked Mexico City defense attorney, Rita, attracts the attention of Manitas, a notorious drug lord and criminal mastermind. Manitas has an interesting request and one that Rita entertains at her peril. For staging his murder, secretly obtaining the perfect surgeon, and providing for his family, Manitas will make Rita rich. The trick is that he will be reborn as she; Emilia. Things go well for a time, but the past begins to creep back. Emilia misses her kids and wife, and doesn't like the new influences on their lives. Emilia struggles to live half in one life, and half in another.

This combined narco-thriller, musical, romance, comedy, character-driven social piece, and gender affirmation drama is mind-blowing. The film bumps around to different and interesting locations around the world too. While the film has many plot twists, director Jacques Audiard maintains firm control of the narrative. I really admire and appreciate his work. It is amazing that a film can be so thrilling and funny, and yet manage to get in a plug about the 100,000 plus people who have disappeared in Mexico due to drug violence, but Audiard does it.

True to the film's multi-faceted and surprising nature, the actors won a combined award at the Cannes film festival for their roles (Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Karla Sofía Gascón).

The film is intriguing and fascinating because it never loses sight of the human nature component. Emilia's feelings are natural for what someone in her shoes might ask and wonder about. For example, was she really in love and did people love her? Further, I am enthralled with the French style, particularly its rawness. No one pulls any punches, and no censors are active with their censoring. Pride, truth, forgiveness, love, and more, are all on full display.