The Voice – brought to you by The Page & Epistle

By Marta Karpovich

A dramatic musical, Emilia Pérez is about a lawyer who is hired to help a Mexican cartel boss retire, transition into a female and completely disappear. 

Emilia Pérez is a stunning film, made even more intriguing by the fact that nothing like it has ever been attempted before. Due to its uniqueness, the first ten minutes are absolutely jarring, as the magical realism and musical elements of the film make it difficult, at first, to understand what exactly one is watching. However, Jacques Audiard’s direction is so beautifully crafted that one soon gets swept into the world of the film and joyfully follows along with the characters’ singing and dancing. 

Utilizing light, darkness, isolation and community in contrast, Audiard provides the audience with two hours of absolute magic. The composition of his shots is intriguing and unique, telling a story with camera techniques that push the boundaries of classic filmmaking rules. In each number, characters, ensemble, set design, lighting and camera angles work together in harmony to create a beautiful display of emotion. Although his out-of-the-box direction seems strange compared to what the audience expects from a film, everything Audiard does works unbelievably well. The beauty of his composition and lighting techniques make the magical realism in the film seem completely normal. 

The storyline of Emilia Pérez is also breathtakingly beautiful, as each character is so well developed and portrayed that the audience feels deeply for them and with them. Underlying the bizarre events of the film is a raw vulnerability that examines humanity, family, redemption and guilt. Without stressing any point too hard, the subtlety of Emilia Pérez’s messages touch the soul. While I do not speak Spanish and had to follow the subtitles closely, the emotion in each word and shot made it almost unnecessary to know exactly what they were saying. 

Each actor in this film is faithfully committed to their role and brings the character to life in unique, intriguing ways; their acting transcends the screen and makes the audience feel each and every emotion that the character experiences. With an amazing ensemble, the cast works brilliantly together, establishing relationships in beautiful ways. 

Lastly, the music in this film is the perfect mixture of fun and emotional, intense and soothing. I listened to the Emilia Pérez soundtrack for weeks after I watched the film and, though I did not understand their words, the beauty of the songs transcends the language barrier. And they’re quite catchy, as well. 

I predict that Zoe Saldana will win Best Supporting Actress this awards season, Mi Camino will win Best Song, and Emilia Pérez will win Best Film (Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes. 

UPDATE: At the 2025 Golden Globes, held January 5, Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez; El Mal won Best Original Song; Emilia Pérez won Best Film; and Emilia Pérez won Best Non-English Speaking Film.