Emilia Perez

[Drunk Monk]

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Emilia Perez

That was intense. Not at all what I was expecting. I get why this won at Cannes. It pushes the envelope in many ways, taking on many hot topic issues.

The musical aspect didn’t send me. It was appropriate, but never achieved that lift off I want from a musical scene. Almost. It was more about the story. It’s complicated.

I’m not a huge fan of Saldana. She lost me at Colombiana and I didn’t care for her take on Uhura. But I didn’t know she could sing. She carries this film along with Gascón, who I’ve never heard of prior (didn’t know this director either). My respect for Gomez continues to grow and although her role is smaller, she drops some massive emotional depth charges that burst my heart.

It’s out of the box filmmaking for a transformative story. There’s some dazzlingly sublime scenes, one of those films that cinemaphiles love to deconstruct. Several scenes will stick with me for years to come, all for different reasons, and not so much for the songs, although there were some good ones.

D00M recommended? I dunno. I would say if you’re into it, don’t read any reviews. Just let it surprise you. Also note that it’s mostly in Spanish so the subtitle illiterate should give it a miss. It’s also a Mexico story, one that maga simply won’t get at all - which is part of its power.

[Greg]

Saw Zoe on the Colbert show promoting this. I was intrigued.

[Drunk Monk]

Not sure if you'll be into it, honestly. It may appeal to your film student side. It's long (2+ hours) and it's subbed (Como es tu espanol?) and a lot of the topics that it grapples with aren't really in your wheelhouse (sexuality, poverty, Mexico). 

In retrospect, I liked it because it was different and unexpected. Mind you, I didn't know anything abut this before watching it, just that it snagged Best Female at Cannes and that Selena was in it. I really like Selena, ever since Waverly.