Just as the fall festival season was about to kick off, Netflix released the trailer of "Emilia Pérez," a new musical crime drama by Jacques Audiard, poised to make a splash in the upcoming Oscar competition.
Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival recently, Netflix secured the rights to "Emilia Perez." The movie earned Audiard the Jury Prize at the festival, per Variety.
The thriller helmed by Audiard has garnered acclaim from film reviewers, with a remarkable 11-minute standing ovation at the Cannes festival, according to the LA Times. Among its accolades are a jury prize and a collective best actress award presented to the film's four lead stars, with Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz.
According to the movie's logline, "Writer-director Jacques Audiard's 'Emilia Pérez' tells the story of high-powered lawyer Rita (Saldaña) who takes on an unexpected assignment: helping a Mexican cartel leader (Gascón) fake their death and undergo sex-reassignment operations."
In the story, Rita, a lawyer from Mexico who has been underestimated, is approached by Manitas, a cartel leader, to help them find a skilled doctor for gender-affirming care. This is so that Manitas can finally embrace their true self. To start afresh and embrace a different identity, Manitas decides to stage their death, undergo gender reassignment surgery, and adopt the persona of Emilia Pérez.
As time passed, a new layer of intrigue unfolded as the main character longed to reconnect with her loved ones, particularly her former spouse Jessi, portrayed by Selena Gomez. Guided by a series of songs, Pérez is compelled to face the consequences of her history. Joining the cast are talented performers like Mexican star Paz in the role of Epifania and Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramírez as Gustavo.
According to Gascon who spoke to Tudum, "You have a musical that is not a musical, an action movie that's not an action movie, a drama that's not a drama, a comedy that's not a comedy."
"It is such a great gift, and I'm so proud to be part of it."
The movie is set to make its first appearance in limited theaters on November 1 and later available on Netflix starting November 13. Before its official release, "Emilia Pérez" is slated to make special screenings at film festivals in September and October, including the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival.
