Emilia Perez

 

Based on the novel Ecoute by Boris Razon, Emilia Perez is the story of a lawyer who is asked by a drug cartel leader to make him disappear so he can become a woman as she later copes with her new identity and her past. Written for the screen and directed by Jacques Audiard that is also based on his own opera libretto, the film is a genre-bending film that mixes the crime drama, comedy, and the musical as it plays into the lives of three women who are affected by the past as well as the outcome of a man’s decision to become a woman. Starring Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofia Gascon, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, and Edgar Ramirez. Emilia Perez is an exhilarating and evocative film by Jacques Audiard.

The film revolves around a drug cartel leader who seeks the help of a low-level lawyer in Mexico to hide his identity and life so that he can become a woman and start a new life as well as hide his wife and children from old enemies. It is a film that explores the lives of three women who are impacted by their own situations in the world as well as the past, present, and future all driven by one person who is willing to make a change for herself to become her true self. Jacques Audiard’s screenplay, with additional contributions from Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, and Nicolas Livecchi, is straightforward in its narrative as it follows a low-level lawyer in Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldana) who just won a case despite going against her own conscience where she receives a mysterious phone call as she is taken to a mysterious location while being masked where she finds herself meeting the drug lord Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascon) who reveals to Rita that she wants to use her money to become a woman as she has already gone through two years of treatment. Rita would travel to Bangkok and Tel Aviv to see what place would be best for Manitas as she chose the latter in Dr. Wasserman (Mark Ivanir) who agrees to do the surgery.

The script would have dialogue that would be sung at times as they are written by Camille Dalmais that plays into the plight of the characters with the first act as it relates to Rita and Manitas with the latter going through his own change into the titular character as they would meet again four years later in the film’s second act. Rita would oversee a lot of things for Manitas before his final transition as it relates to his family that includes his wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) where she would stay in Switzerland for four years and then return to Mexico to live with this woman she does not know. Rita and Emilia’s return to Mexico would force the latter to think about her past life as a drug lord and the disappearances that she had caused of those where she would organize a non-profit company to help the family find those who have disappeared. The script also play into the politics and corruption within Mexico in the hand of drug cartels that Emilia was once a part of where she and Rita would gain some fulfillment. For Jessi, she feels alienated prompting her to contact a former lover.

Audiard’s direction is stylish as it is shot on location in France to play into the many different locations the characters go to. Notably as some of the scenes set in Mexico were shot in soundstages to recreate some of the places in the country including Mexico City. Audiard’s direction does use a lot of medium and wide shots to play into the chaos in Mexico with close-ups as it plays into Rita’s own plight as a Black lawyer born in the Dominican Republic who is overworked and underpaid as there is an element of racism in the way she is treated. Audiard also creates some unique camera movements for scenes involving some of the musical numbers with the aid of choreographer Damien Jalet. Particularly in scenes that has a sense of improvisation and a lot of physicality in the movement as it play into the plight of both Rita and Jessi with the latter feeling frustrated and unhappy over the loss of Manitas and her own desires as a woman.

The bending of genres do get messy as Audiard’s overall presentation is all over the place. Even in scenes that are serious yet there is some singing, but it is not presented as camp nor overly-serious where Audiard knows how to keep things simple. The film’s third act is intense as it relates to a new thing for Emilia in meeting a woman in Epifania Flores (Adriana Paz) but also in Jessi whose relationship with her lover Gustavo Brun (Edgar Ramirez) would threaten the life that Emilia has created. Especially with Rita finding herself in the middle as she realizes the severity of Jessi’s actions but also the faults in Emilia’s own planning in keeping everything secretive. Notably in not revealing her identity to Jessi who feels slight and becomes neglectful towards their children for a time where a lot becomes unveiled. Overall, Audiard crafts a riveting and wild film about a drug lord’s desire to become a woman with the help of a low-level lawyer.

Cinematographer Paul Guilhaume does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lighting for a club scene involving Jessi as well as other low-key lighting for some interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Juliette Welfling does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, rhythmic cuts, and dissolves to play into the sense of style and manic energy in some of the dancing. Production designer/set decorator Emmanuelle Duplay, along with art director/costume designer Virginie Montel plus set decorators Sandra Castello, Cecile Deleu, and Sandrine Jarron, does amazing work with the look of the exterior streets in Mexico as well as the home that Emilia has created for herself and her family with Montel providing fantastic costumes that includes the stylish dresses and clothes that Emilia, Rita, and Jessi wear.

Visual effects supervisor Cedric Fayolle does terrific work with the visual effects for a few scenes that involve set dressing in a few travel montages as well as in some of the dance numbers in the film. Sound editor Aymeric Devoldere does superb work with the sound in the way a location sounds as well as how music sounds in a car stereo and other sound effects used in the film. The film’s music by Clement Ducol is incredible for its mixture of styles ranging from Mexican folk, pop, electronic, and orchestral to play into the drama with songs by Camille Dalmais that help drive the story while music supervisors Raphaelle Dannus and Pierre Marie-Dru create a soundtrack that play into those different environments.

The casting by Christel Baras and Carla Hool is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Eduardo Alardo as Rita’s boss early in the film, Emiliano Hasan as a guilty client Rita defends early in the film, James Gerard as a British acquaintance of both Emilia and Rita, and the duo of Theo Guarin and Lucas Varoclier as Manitas and Jessi’s kids who become fond of Emilia. Edgar Ramirez is superb as a former lover of Jessi in Gustavo as a man that is fond of her despite having a past that Emilia does not approve once she learns about Jessi’s plans with him with the children. Mark Ivanir is fantastic as Dr. Wasserman as a surgeon who learns about Manitas’ transition as he agrees to help him become a woman while helping him remain anonymous. Adriana Paz is excellent as Epifania Flores as a woman that Emilia meets as she falls for her where she not only brings joy to Emilia but also a broader view of the world that only pushes her to do better for her organization.

Selena Gomez is incredible as Jessi Del Monte as Manitas’ wife who is kept in the dark about what is happening to her life where she deals with living in Switzerland and then returning to Mexico. Gomez’s performance has this air of physicality in her dancing and singing while also displaying this sense of loss of a woman that is trying to find her own fulfillment as well as answers about what her husband did. Zoe Saldana is tremendous as Rita Mora Castro as a low-level lawyer who is given the opportunity of a lifetime where she becomes rich in hiding Manitas’ identity during her transition and later becoming her partner in creating a nonprofit organization as she deals with some of the chaos and her own frustrations in life while also wanting to protect Emilia and her past identity. Finally, there’s Karla Sofia Gascon in a spectacular performance as the titular character/Juan “Manitas” Del Monte as a drug lord who wants to become a woman as he becomes uncomfortable with who he is as he used his money and power to become his true self. Once he becomes Emilia, he starts to find some joy and fulfillment in her life while also confronting the past in the hope of creating a better future for those she cares about unaware of the neglect she displays towards Jessi.

Emilia Perez is a phenomenal film by Jacques Audiard that features a trio of great performances from Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez. Along with its supporting cast, offbeat presentation, study of identity and redemption, and whimsical music soundtrack. It is a film that is not afraid to be messy as well as explore some themes of reinvention including what it means to be their true self. In the end, Emilia Perez is a sensational film by Jacques Audiard.

Jacques Audiard Films: (See How They Fall) – (A Self-Made Hero) – (Read My Lips) – (The Beat That Skipped My Heart) – A Prophet - Rust and Bone - (Dheepan) – (The Sisters Brothers) – (Paris, 13th District)

© thevoid99 2025

Rust and Bone

Based on the short stories by Craig Davidson, De rouille et do’s (Rust and Bone) is the story of a man trying to find his way in the world as he meets and falls for a killer whale trainer who had just lost her legs in a freak accident. Directed by Jacques Audiard and screenplay by Audiard and Thomas Bidegain, the film showcases the power of human connection through tragedy and longing. Starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. De rouille et do’s is an extraordinary yet powerful film from Jacques Audiard.

Arriving from Belgium to the south of France with his young son Sam (Armand Verdure), Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) moves in with his sister Anna (Corinne Masiero) and her husband Richard (Jean-Michel Correia). Hoping to find work, Ali goes through several jobs including being a club bouncer where he stops a fight where a woman named Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) was accidentally hit and received a bloody nose. Ali takes Stephanie back to her apartment to heal his swollen hand as he leaves his number to her in case she wants to call. Ali continues to find something that will give him some good money where he learns that Stephanie was in a freak accident during her work as a killer whale trainer where she lost her legs. Despondent over the loss her legs and her well-being, Stephanie calls Ali needing him to keep her company.

Ali and Stephanie begin a relationship of sorts where they would occasionally have sex but also keep her company as she watches him take part in illegal fights. Ali also takes part in helping his friend Martial (Bouli Lanners) to put in tiny cameras in various places for the bosses to spy on their staff. Despite their time together, Stephanie begins to question about the nature of their relationship due to Ali’s actions where he finds himself in trouble of his other work with Martial. Particularly where it would cause some dire consequences as Ali is forced to question what kind of man he’s supposed to be.

The question of how people come together is an interesting one as this film is about two very different people who connect through not just tragedy but also to find some direction in life. In Ali, here’s a man that is extremely flawed as he is a well-meaning but inattentive father who leaves his child in the care of his sister and her husband who have enough problems of their own. Ali is also someone who is quite immature and is willing to have sex with anyone and seems to put his own interests first before anyone else’s. In Stephanie, here’s a woman who already has a life but is seemingly unfulfilled until she loses her legs in a freak accident where she goes into a period of shutting herself out from everyone. When they get together, both go into a period in their life where they’re trying to find themselves in this unconventional relationship.

The screenplay doesn’t carry a lot of plot schematics as it slowly builds this relationship that is very flawed since these are two very different people. Yet, they managed to connect on the fact that neither of them have any clue about themselves or what to do in their life. All Ali knows is to fight and be tough where he can take part in these illegal fights and risk his body. For him, it’s about proving that he’s the best and maybe use the money to help his sister and get his son for a few things. While he has good intentions, there’s a side of Ali that is very despicable where he’ll go out with a woman to have sex with her leaving Stephanie alone at a club or not be aware of the damage he’s doing in setting up cameras to get people fired. He’s essentially a man who is still a child of sorts with no real sense of direction and he’s not even sure why he’s with someone like Stephanie as she would question about why they’re having this relationship.

For Stephanie, she’s a woman who is truly lost as she doesn’t think people understand what she is going through or really care as she isn’t sure she wants to people to think of her as a freak. There’s one moment in the club scene after Ali leaves her for another woman where she’s drinking and a man buys her a drink. When he realizes what she is, he wants to offer sympathy but she wants none of it. She becomes more aware of who she is as she doesn’t want to be defined yet she knows that Ali is someone who needs to grow up and be responsible. Their relationship is quite complicated since neither really know what they want from each other yet the script doesn’t really bring any answers to that. In fact, it doesn’t really need any answers other than just two people needing to be connected by some strange circumstances.

Jacques Audiard’s direction is truly evocative for the way he creates a drama that doesn’t play to conventions despite the schematics it brings where some will accuse of it being manipulative. Yet, Audiard is aware of being manipulative but he does it in order to create key moments for the development of its lead characters. Particularly in scenes where Ali and Stephanie are together where Audiard just underplays the drama and let things just happen without any kind of schemes. Shot in various locations like Antibes, Cannes, Paris, parts of Northern France, Belgium, and Warsaw. It’s a film where Audiard places these individuals in a world where it’s very imperfect just like their lives. Sure, there’s beautiful beaches and some other fine places but it’s just as chaotic as the lives of Ali and Stephanie.

Audiard’s direction definitely employs a lot of hand-held cameras but it never becomes shaky in order to capture a lot of the drama that is happening as if he’s aiming for a cinema verite style. There are some stylistic shots such as some lingering images of water for Stephanie to reflect on what happened to her as there’s also startling images of men fighting in slow motion Audiard also creates some compositions that are truly hypnotic such as Stephanie’s return to the sea park she worked at where Audiard places the camera in a wide shot for Stephanie to connect with the whale. Audiard doesn’t employ a lot of close-ups as he knows where to keep the camera away including in some very intense moments of the film. He also knows when not to explain things by letting the images happen where he would create some very key moments in the drama. Overall, Audiard creates a truly captivating drama about human connection.

Cinematographer Stephane Fontaine does excellent work with the photography to capture the beauty that is the South of France but without any kind of a postcard look while employing more low-key lighting frame for some of the nighttime interiors to maintain a realistic look. Editor Juliette Welfling does brilliant work with the editing by utilizing lots of stylish cuts for the film including jump-cuts and fade-outs to help play out its structure and the action that occurs. Production designer Michel Barthelemy, along with set decorator Boris Piot and art director Yann Megard, does wonderful work with the look of Anna’s home as well as the more spacious apartment that Stephanie lives in for her new life.

Costume designer Virginie Martel does nice work with the costumes from the track suits that Ali wears to the more looser clothing that Stephanie wears. Visual effects supervisor Cedric Fayolle does terrific work with the film‘s minimal visual effects to display Stephanie without her legs. Sound editor Pascal Villard does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the club scenes as well as the more intimate moments between Ali and Stephanie.

The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is amazing for its low-key yet ethereal orchestral score that also features some piano-driven music as well as moments to underplay the drama. Music supervisor Frederic Junqua creates a soundtrack that features all sorts of music ranging from club, pop, folk, and rock from artists as diverse as Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, the B-52s, White & Spirit, Lykke Li, and probably the most inspired use of Katy Perry’s Firework.

The casting by Richard Rousseau is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Yannick Choirat as Stephanie’s boyfriend Simon, Mourad Frarema as Ali’s night guard co-worker Foued, Jean-Michel Correia as Ali’s brother-in-law Richard, Bouli Lanners as Ali's corrupt friend Martial, and Celine Sallette as Stephanie’s friend Louise. Corrine Maisero is excellent as Ali’s sister Anna who tries to deal with Ali’s immaturity and selfishness as well as the fact that he’s an irresponsible ass. Armand Verdure is wonderful as Ali’s son Sam who is just a five-year old who loves dogs and doesn’t really understand what kind of man his father is.

Matthias Schoenaerts is marvelous as the fearless yet directionless Ali who tries to find something that would give him a good life only to do terrible things that would impact people. It’s a role that is very complicated but Schoenaerts really manages to make Ali a man that is human and at times un-likeable but also engaging as he knows he’s very flawed. Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in a towering performance as Stephanie as a woman lost and troubled by her accident where Cotillard displays a lot of life into this woman who could’ve been destroyed. It’s also a performance that just radiates in its silent moments but as well as its darker ones. The chemistry between Cotillard and Schoenaerts is intoxicating to watch for the way they depend on each other as well as understand that neither of them are perfect.

De rouille et do’s is a magnificent film from Jacques Audiard that features incredible performances from Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. It’s a film that definitely captures the power of the human spirit in all of its flaws while not being afraid to be sentimental. While it’s not an easy film to watch, it’s very engaging for the way it reveals how two people can connect despite having very little in common. In the end, De rouille et do’s is a phenomenal film from Jacques Audiard.

Jacques Audiard Films: (See How They Fall) - (A Self Made Hero) - (Sur mes levres) - (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) - A Prophet - (Dheepan) - (The Sister Brothers) - (Paris, 13th District) - Emilia Perez

© thevoid99 2012

2011 Cannes Marathon: A Prophet

(Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Jacques Audiard and written by Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Abdel Raouf Dafri, and Nicolas Peufaillit. Un prophete (A Prophet) tells the story of an illiterate 19-year old French-North African man who is sent to prison for six-years. In a world where it’s racially-divided as it’s ruled by a mob, he befriends a Muslim man who helps him while creating his own empire. The film is a part coming-of-age story and part-prison drama as a young man’s life is shaped during his time. Starring Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, and Abdel Bencherif. Un prophete is an eerie yet engrossing character-driven drama from Jacques Audiard.

19-year old Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is a young criminal whose life of misdemeanors has finally landed him in prison for six-years after assaulting a cop. Un-educated and not knowing much about the world except how to survive, he lives in a chaotic prison where a Corsican mob leader named Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup) and his henchmen rule the prison and the guards. Malik tries to survive the harsh prison as he comes across Luciani who orders him to kill a prisoner named Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi) before he would testify in court. Malik reluctantly does so with unease while it confirms the Arabs and North African population of the group who is in charge.

Malik remains haunted by what he did to Reyeb who would often appear to him as Malik befriends a Muslim named Ryad (Abdel Bencherif). Ryad would teach Malik to read and write as Malik takes classes that allowed him to learn other languages and later, economics. With Ryad as his closest friend, he also finds his way to be close to Luciani by becoming his servant. When Luciani’s men are transferred and later released, Malik eventually becomes Luciani’s closest ally while Malik makes waves of his own. Taking a strange gypsy man named Jordi (Reda Kateb) as one of his associates, Malik also makes wave with Muslim prisoners. Becoming Luciani’s most reliable ally also helped him get out of prison for brief periods to help make deals and such.

With Ryad out of prison and trying to get his life in order, he also work out on some drug deals for Malik only to get in trouble with an Egyptian gangster named Latif (Mamadou Minte). This causes problems as tension between Malik and Luciani occur while Malik gets in contact with a man who knows a crime boss named Brahim Lattrache (Sumane Dazi). Though the flight to Marseilles wasn’t easy and Lattrache not happy about meeting Malik, the two have an understanding along with information about a snitch in Luciani’s group. Malik makes a deal with Lattrache with Luciani asking his old henchman Vettori (Jean-Philippe Ricci) to go after the mob’s Don who Luciani believes is the rat. With Malik on board along with Ryad, things become complicated due to Vettori’s lack of respect towards Malik’s men along with Ryad, who is ill due to a cancer remission. Malik realizes that he has to go on board where he makes plans that would change everything.

The film is a coming-of-age story about a man’s rise in prison during a six-year stint. Yet, what is more compelling is his development as a 19-year old illiterate prisoner into a crime boss of sorts who manages to win respect. It’s also a classic rise and fall tale for another character in Luciani who starts off as this intimidating yet intelligent boss who starts off as the man ruling the prison. Yet, by the time he lets Malik get close to him with Malik learning the ropes, his own downfall would emerge. It’s these storylines that really creates a character study that is engaging from start to finish though its approach is very unconventional.

The screenplay definitely plays off Malik’s early rise as a young prisoner to porter for Luciani. Even as Malik’s development is driven by the relationships he makes in prison. Two of them in Luciani and Ryad would be bring the most impact to Malik’s life. Luciani does treat him like a servant and almost like a son to him late in the film as he realizes he is the only one in his group that is more reliable. Even in a scene as he wonders why Malik still makes coffee for him after all of these years as Malik has no answer. Then, there’s Ryad who would not only teach Malik to read and write but also give him a reason to do what is right. Even as Ryad is a cancer survivor with a family who later gets a remission in cancer. This would eventually motivate Malik to do what is right for his friend and his family.

The script is very loose with its plot since there isn’t much of a plot to begin with. Even as it slowly builds up development to let the audience understand the world Malik is in. Helming all of this is director Jacques Audiard whose direction is very engaging in letting the audience be aware of the prison world in France. Audiard definitely plays with the script’s loose style by letting scenes unfold and let things play out. While it does create scenes that are very slow and long, particularly for a film with a near two-and-a-half-hour running time. Audiard does that so he can help the audience understand what is going on during Malik’s first year for about thirty minutes into the film. Then play it all out for the rest of his time in his stay.

Audiard also creates some stylistic approaches for several scenes including some slow-motion shots in a few parts. Notably the scene where Malik goes after a crime boss that is presented with great style. Another stylistic element to the film that plays off to Malik’s own sense of guilt is the appearances of Reyeb as he’s often shown with cuts on his neck or something happening to him as he serves as a reminder of what Malik has done. Audiard’s overall direction is truly powerful as he creates a mesmerizing yet haunting prison-drama that plays with its conventional storyline and more.

Cinematographer Stephane Fontaine does an excellent job with the film‘s cinematography in creating an eerie yet claustrophobic look to the scenes inside the prison. While even adding some beauty for scenes outside of the prison including a gorgeous scene during the winter. Fontaine also succeeds in creating lush images for scenes in Marseilles and Paris to play up to Malik’s own brief tastes of freedom. Editor Juliette Welfling does a phenomenal job with the film’s editing in creating tension between characters as well as building the momentum for Malik’s development. Notably in scenes where there’s a mesh of shimmering cuts to play up to Malik’s sense of dread. Welfing’s editing is definitely the technical highlight of the film for the way it underplays the drama and its stylized approach to Malik on the job.

Production designer Michel Barthelemy, along with set decorator Boris Piot and art director Entienne Rohde, does a wonderful job with the look of the prison cells as they have a look that is very small and claustrophobic. The halls have more space and are much cleaner while other places such as Ryad’s home and places that Malik encounters reveal his taste for freedom Costume designer Virginie Montel does a good job with the costumes by most playing casual for the prisoners while the Luciani characters wears more finer clothes to display his personality.

Sound editors Stephane Rabeau and Francis Wargnier do some stellar work with the sound in playing up to the tense and chaotic atmosphere to the prison as the quieter moments even has something that is disturbing. Even as the sound work is much broader and more eerie for some of the film’s violent moments. The music by Alexandre Desplat is a real highlight of the film as it mostly plays as a haunting yet subtle accompaniment throughout the film. While he does bring in a few orchestral pieces to the film, it’s mostly in small moments as he goes for longer yet ambient-like tracks to play to Malik’s state of mind. Even as the film’s soundtrack features an array of artists ranging from Nas, Sigur Ros, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

The casting by Richard Rousseau is definitely superb with its array of people to play small and big roles. Even as the extras in the prison scenes are former convicts who helped provide a sense of realism to the film. In small but memorable performances, there are Jean-Emmanuel Pagni as a henchman of Luciani who helps Malik in how to be a porter, Mamadou Minte as the Egyptian gangster Latif, Cindy Daniel as a hooker Malik has sex with, Frederic Graziani as a detention chief, Reda Kateb as Malik’s contact man Jordi, Sumane Dazi as the crime boss Lattrache, and Leila Bekhti as Ryad’s wife Djamila whom Malik wants to help in her time of need.

Jean-Philippe Ricci is very good as Luciani’s main henchman Vettori who is never kind to Malik because of his race while proving to be very un-loyal when he had to work with Malik. Hichem Yacoubi is excellent as Reyeb, the man Malik kills early in the film only to be a ghost who offers him ways to improve himself as his appearances are truly mesmerizing. Abdel Bencherif is superb as Ryad, the man who would help Malik become the crime lord while reminding him about the fact that he needs to be a good man and do the right thing. Niels Arestrup is phenomenal as Cesar Luciani, a crime boss who has an intimidating presence while showing Malik the ropes about being a criminal as he later treats him like a son.

Finally, there’s Tahar Rahim in a magnificent performance as Malik El Djebena. Rahim brings a gritty yet charismatic performance as a young man who starts off as a quiet loner into a powerful yet take-charge kind of guy. It’s a stunning yet hypnotic performance from the young actor as he goes for it all whether its in quiet moments or being the guy in the background as he observes everything around him. Even as he is someone taking charge and looking cool in the process. This is definitely one of the great performances of 2009.

Un prophete is a brilliant yet eerie film from Jacques Audiard that features an amazing performance from Tahar Rahim. Audiences of prison dramas will no doubt enjoy this film for its character study as well as its more intimate yet engaging approach to the world of French prisons. Particularly with its idea of crime and the way things work in prisons along with how they do things on the outside. In the end, Un prophete is a mesmerizing film from Jacques Audiard.

Jacques Audiard Films: (See How They Fall) - (A Self Made Hero) - (Sur mes levres) - (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) - Rust and Bone - (Dheepan) - (The Sister Brothers) - (Paris, 13th District) - Emilia Perez

© thevoid99 2011