Film No. 83. EMILIA PEREZ (2024). 14th Dec.

 

Film No. 83 (2024) December 14th.  11.00 AM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1,  Leederville.

"Half papa, half aunt, half rich, half poor, half kingpin, half queen ... " (an example of the lyrics summing up Perez's predicament).

  WINNER: Jury Prize  (Jacques Audiard) Canne Film Festival.

Has there been a film quite like EMILIA PEREZ (EP)? Not really, but with a company like Netflix around to bankroll new, exotic, melodramas like EP, lets luxuriate in their extravagance while we can.

So how does a big studio react to a pitch which goes "It's a drama, also a musical about a drug lord and loving father who orchestrates an escape from his life. He wishes to be a woman. In finding her true self she tries to right some of the wrongs he/she created" ? "Oh, also, it will cost 50M and run for 140 minutes". "That's right, and the three leads are all female; Zoe Saldana is on board. You know her. AVATAR, yeh? It's a tale empowering female strength and sensibility". Likely an answer in the negative. But feminist film it isn't. Audacious melodrama it is! 

EP has accumulated 115 awards or nominations since its Cannes debut in April. Awards aren't everything but that number is impressive. 72 year old Audiard (RUST AND BONE, THE PROPHIT) has hung in there. Thanks to Netflix we are allowed full access to his imagination.  10GUMS