A blistering new Netflix trailer starring Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez place the American actors at the center of a Spanish-language musical crime comedy heralded as an “audacious fever dream.”
“Emilia Pérez,” which recently took special awards at the Cannes Film Festival, introduces the concept of “halves” set against a monotone backdrop. Character portraits are revealed in their half-assuming identity before the name of the film emerges — gunfire and bloodshed follow.
Film critics have praised the Jacques Audiard-directed thriller, which received an 11-minute long standing ovation at Cannes. The film took home a jury prize and a shared best actress award among four titular stars.
In the musical melodrama, Saldana portrays Rita, an overlooked lawyer in Mexico who is contracted by cartel leader Manitas to locate the best gender-affirming care doctor so they can live as their authentic self. In search of a new identity — and past life — the cartel leader fakes their death, undergoes gender reassignment surgery and assumes a new role as Emilia Pérez, played by Spanish transgender actor Karla Sofía Gascón.
The plot thickens years later when the protagonist wishes to reunite with her family — including ex-wife Jessi, played by Selena Gomez. Through a set of musical numbers, Pérez is led to confront the legacy of her past. The ensemble includes Mexican actor Adriana Paz as Epifania and Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramírez as Gustavo.
Netflix outbid its competitors for the Oscar poised contender at $8 million following its Cannes debut.
Though “Emilia Pérez” centers a Mexican storyline, the majority of filming took place in a French studio at the request of Audiard, who said filming in Mexico would have been “a challenge,” according to Agence France-Presse.
During a press conference, Saldana — who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage — praised the film’s Mexican scope, revealing that the culture is “dear to [her] heart]” after living L.A. for more than 20 years, she said at a Cannes press conference.
“[Audiard] has this story which depicts a number of things that you can find in Mexico and which need to be improved in other countries,” Saldana said. “But he celebrates the culture, which is so beautiful, and so rich, and so artistic.”
This is Gomez’s first Spanish-language film. Ahead of the Cannes premiere, she revealed to Brut that her biggest obstacle was the “Spanish part,” stating that she practiced with family, particularly her dad, for over a year.
“I was really excited to get back into my culture and my life and when I was younger … I think that was beautiful,” she said.
The 32-year-old actress received two Emmy nominations for her role as Mabel Mora in Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” where she was nominated for lead actress in a comedy series and for best comedy series as executive producer.
“Emilia Pérez” begins screening at select theaters Nov. 1, then begins streaming on Netflix Nov. 13.