Jacques Audiard’s musical, Emilia Perez, chronicles a story that champions the ideals of new beginnings, second chances, and personal growth but simultaneously highlights the dangers when the ideals are reflected only in the personal sphere and don’t extend outside of it. Being a blend of several genres, Emilia Perez has a very distinct narrative approach that is backed by the strong performances of the female lead trio. The challenge posed by the unique tone of the movie demanded the actors seamlessly switch between emotional scenes from the dramatic portions and humorous bits from the musical side of it, something which was accomplished well by the ensemble cast, whose performance already let the movie swing hard in international film festivals.
Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez Played by Karla Sofía Gascón
Spanish actor Karla Sofia Gascón came out as an openly transgender actor back in 2018, by when she had become a well known face on the both Spanish silver screen and the telenovela scene. In Emilia Perez, Karla plays the lead role of Cartel boss Manitas Del Monte and her post-transition persona, Emilia Perez. As Manitas, Sofia is able to effectively tap into the plight of a dreaded criminal who wants a do-over and to connect with her true self, which she feels has been burdened by social expectations, which ultimately led her to a path of violence. After Manitas found her true identity as Emilia, she got a chance to get away from her past, but she refused to do so and, despite knowing the troubles it might entail, let herself get excessively attached to her family. Emilia refused to acknowledge that her family had the right to know the truth and the right to live their lives as per their convenience—just like she did. The way Emilia wanted to exercise her control over them was ironic given how she herself wanted to escape the trappings of her own life. Forcing Jessica and the kids out of her life and later dragging them back according to her whims doesn’t really convey emotional connection; instead, it highlights Emilia’s control freak nature—something her wife, Jessica, used to fear. Emilia shows maturity in accepting Jessica had moved on with her life, but then again, as she acts out and physically hurts Jessica after learning she will take their kids away, it becomes apparent that the violence from which she wanted to escape was ingrained inside her. When things didn’t go her way, she answered in violence, which ultimately resulted in her demise.
Emilia’s effort to make amends with her past by helping the ones who have lost their families to cartel-related violence was a commendable effort to truly turn a new page in her life, although once again, it is ironic, as her efforts were funded by the corrupt people in power who propagated the cartel business in Mexico in the first place and were responsible for the tragic predicament of the victims of the cartel. Not to mention, as a former cartel boss, Emilia has blood on her hands as well, which cannot be wiped clean irrespective of how much she tries to connect with her newfound humanity. In that sense, Emilia didn’t deserve the respectful memorial procession after her demise—the people mourning her life were also victims of her actions to begin with.
Rita Moro Castro Played by Zoe Saldaña
Zoe Saldaña is a familiar face to viewers who gravitate more towards pop culture spectacle, given her roles in some of the most notable movie franchises, which include the MCU, where she played the role of the alien assassin Gamora, and the Avatar movie series, where she portrayed the role of Neytiri, the Na’vi alien princess. However, aside from these, her career, spanning over two decades, has seen her taking part in numerous lesser-known, more grounded roles as well, and it’s good to see Zoe back in form in Emilia Perez, where she plays the role of criminal lawyer Rita Moro Castro. A middle-aged lawyer exasperated by the life she has been forced into, Rita wants a way out. The overburdening, underpaying job at her law firm takes a toll on her mind given the fact that, despite being a woman herself, her job demands she turn a blind eye to the plight of other women who have been wronged by men in power. Add to that the existing, normalized sexism and racism Rita has to deal with on a regular basis, and except for financial compulsion, there is absolutely no reason for her to bear with her daily drudgeries. But that is not the sole reason as to why Rita decided to help Manitas transition into Emilia; she had found a kindred spirit in Manitas, who wanted a way out of her life as well, and felt a noble urge to do right by her, offering her a chance to reform herself. To some extent, Rita’s personal burdens were the reason why she agreed to Manitas’ offer in the first place. However, through the latter half of the movie, Rita was mostly relegated to a mediator-type role, with her personal agency fading throughout the narrative—and at the end, she ends up being a cog in Emilia’s life, shouldering the responsibility of taking care of Emilia and Jessica’s children.
Jessica Played by Selena Gomez
Giving an introduction to Selena Gomez of all people would be a silly thing to do. Through the years, the iconic pop singer has starred in a number of silver screen and small screen projects, namely Spring Breakers, Monte Carlo, and Only Murders in the Building, and her acting career graph has received a major boost with Emilia Perez, where she plays the role of Jessica, Manitas’ wife. Jessica was the victim of Manitas’ whimsical, controlling nature and deception, which led her to deny Jessica a life of her own and resulted in her tragic demise at the end. Knowing the truth about Emilia’s identity aggravated her misery even more; being oblivious to it might have spared her from mental agony, and she could have survived as well.
Miscellaneous Characters
Aside from the power-packed performances by the three lead female actors, the supporting characters were splendid with the screentime they’ve been given over the course of the movie. Actor Adriana Paz played the role of Epifania, a victim of domestic abuse who finds a loving soul in Emilia. Actor Edgar Ramirez portrayed Gustavo Brun, Jessica’s lover. Actor Mark Ivanir portrayed the role of surgeon Dr. Wasserman, while the role of Rita’s former boss, Berlinger, was played by actor Eduardo Alardo.
