20/16
In Mexico, a lawyer receives an unexpected offer to help a dangerous cartel leader get out of the business and disappear forever and become the woman he’s always dreamed of being. IMDb editor Arno Kazarian offers a brief overview of the 12 films he’s screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival, including Honora and the dangerously erotic Misericordia. Jacques Audiard’s first Spanish-language film. The French subtitle misspells the Indian city as “Delhi.” Featured in Latino Slant: La Bamba Remake, Tarantino has a big mouth, SPICE Jenna and Selena Shock! (2024). El Trio Screenplay by Camille, Clément Ducol and Jacques Audiard Performed by Carla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana. A fairly pleasant film, with two demanding leads and two supporting roles that require excellent actors. The first two are played by Zoe Saldaña and Carla Sofia Gascon, the second two are played by Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz. The quartet shared the Best Actress award at Cannes 2024. They deserve it. Saldanya, in particular, is a revelation. I’ve seen four of screenwriter-director Jacques Audiard’s previous films (“My Heart Was Beating,” “The Prophet,” “Rust and Bone,” and “Brothers and Sisters”), each of which was memorable in its own way. None of them prepared me for this, so I tip my hat to him for not getting stuck in a genre rut. Emilia Peres has a long story and a lot of singing. When the singing is combined with Damien Jalet’s piercing choreography, the effect is stunning. Otherwise, the songs drag the film down. Slightly musical and theatrical, they don’t go into depth and therefore don’t live up to the dramatic demands placed on them. They are at their best in rap-oriented numbers where rhythm is the most important element. Emilia Perez’s moral seems to be that we can never get rid of the past, change who we are or what we want. This is a strangely grim vision for a musical performance. Check out the full list of participants for this fall’s 62nd New York Film Festival.
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