38/41
Jacques Audiard's first Spanish-language film
Story
In Mexico, a lawyer receives an unexpected offer to help a feared cartel boss retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he's always dreamed of being.. Karla Sofía Gascón talks about the two years of preparation that went into this demanding role in Jacques Audiard's film, and about the two extremes of her own personality that she had to play as Emilia and Manitas.. A French title card misspells the Indian city as "Dehli".. Featured in Latino Slant: La Bamba Remake, Tarantino has a BIG Mouth, the SPICE of Jenna & Selena Shocks! (2024). El AlegatoWritten by Camille, Clément Ducol and Jacques AudiardPerformed by Zoe Saldana.
And not only that, she nails it
Came to write this after seeing its gala screening at the London film festival.A wild, insane roller coaster of a film that mixes crime, comedy, musical and thriller all into one and succeeds with flying colours!The four actresses at the core are the strength and they were directed to perfection by Audiard.Karla plays her character pre transition and post as it comes to her naturally, having underdone it publicly as an actor. It's a powerhouse performance that is so of our time. I'm proud to be alive in a time when a trans actress plays a trans role. The tragedy of leaving a life but the promise of the one she's always needed.Zoe gets to sing, dance, cry and laugh and everything which I think an actor dreams of doing, let alone in one film. I had never seen a film of hers before and I am so happy this was my first because she shines! There's a scene of her in a car, where realising what has just transpired, she breaks down in hysteria.
That scene alone should win her an Academy award
Think Margo in I, Tonya or Glenn in Dangerous Liasons. And she has a beautiful voice!Selena, for whom I was most excited to see this film, kicks it out of the ballpark. Playing a mob wife, that icy, storm-simmering-below-the-surface kind of woman which she needs to revisit IMO because as a young girl who endured intense scrutiny and then went through a psychosis, she knows it too well what's it like to keep a lid on too long. The one time during the screening where I felt I was having an out of body experience is where her character Jessi finally unleashes her emotions onto us the audience after years of being oppressed. The agony and anger is heard in her voice. It's evidence of why she has said acting is her true calling and how passionate she is about it.
She is poignant!
It would be stupid to still think she's a disney kid and still has something to prove. Her acting journey is truly so exciting as a fan of almost 2 decades.Lastly, Adrianas character is like the sunshine in the otherwise dark and twisted world the film lives in. And it perfectly complements the other 3 actresses work. She brings love and softness to the story through her work.One major thing to note is that this film is like an opera. It reminds one of the Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which was also almost entirely sung. Emotionally it's definitely intense like one, with small moments of calm when you realise you're watching a film.The cinematography was brilliant.
The way the camera pans across the car to her face
At the end of the film, selenas character lays almost unconscious on the passenger seat as her lover drives in rage. it felt like a painting, very poetic but tragic.So glad to have watched it before it's netflix release. It's amazing when a film can make you feel like this. To take you out of your normal and drive you a bit crazy.. No need to waste time endlessly scrolling — here's the entire lineup of new movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix this month.