Emilia Pérez

It’s a fine line between well-intentioned empathy and shameless exploitation, and Audiard never manages to find the right side of it. He’s also unable -- or maybe just unwilling -- to truly interrogate the ethical paradox at the heart of the story.

Whatever its failings are as a musical, Emilia Perez makes up for it as a tragic melodrama.

Rather than enhancing the film’s narrative, the music functions as a loud and gimmicky distraction from storytelling that can’t be bothered to do even the most basic work of connecting its audience to its setting and characters.

It’s cheesy and loopy and fun to watch but I think its Oscar buzz is a bit over the top.

Phrases like “game-changer” and “cutting-edge” can’t capture just how audacious and original Emilia Pérez is. It's a knockout.


On paper, the story sounds like a mashup of Dog Day Afternoon, Sicario, M Butterfly, and Mrs. Doubfire, which really should not work. The fact that it does, is a testament to the audacity of the production and Karla Sofía Gascón.

The people still break into song and dance at unique moments and the structure of the songs is similar to that of the usual fare but its downbeat numbers and staccato delivery easily set it apart.

Dazzling musical sequences are infectious enough to distract you from an increasingly melodramatic and unhinged script.
[Full Review in Spanish]


Risky and unconventional, yet exotic and clumsy, “Emilia Pérez” encapsulates director Jacques Audiard’s authorial vision and showcases it at its worst. A disgrace.[Full review in Spanish]

The peaks and valleys in Jacques Audiard’s latest film, the musical “Emilia Pérez” never come where you might expect them.