Emilia Perez

Here’s a film that took a couple of tries to get into.  It’s mainly in Spanish, it’s a musical, and it’s totally left of center.  Seriously, it’s the closest thing I could describe as a gender bent dragon to butterfly transformation set to music with lawyers, guns, and money, mucho mas money.  Zoe Saldana is given a dream role opportunity playing the lawyer who accepts an offer to become very, very rich by fulfilling a cartel drug lord’s unique proposition.  Actually, it’s more like an offer she can’t refuse.  The drug lord’s wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), becomes an integral part of the story, as wishes are fulfilled and time has passed, family and a new purpose is manifested.  The songs are stunningly forgettable, but that’s just me.  It really helps if you know Spanish, but not vital to understanding what’s going on.  Karla Sofía Gascón, née Carlos Gascón, has become the first transgender woman to be nominated as Best Actress.  Here’s to seeing if the Academy is voting on merit instead of hype as she is a natural for this role.  Rating:  3 stars, a libretto would have been a nice accompaniment.