Where to watch: Netflix
Reactions: Dazzling, Bold, Groundbreaking

I knew almost nothing about Emelia Pérez before watching it, except that it was a musical. I’m not always a huge fan of musicals, but I decided to give it a go. And I’m so glad I did.

I have to start by saying how much I loved Zoe Saldaña in this movie. She shined. She rocked. She killed it. Her acting carries the movie. And her singing voice stunned me. The first musical number is hers and it convinced me immediately that I’d enjoy the musical nature of the film.

Right at the mid point of the movie there’s a big musical number at a banquet. Zoe leads the number, accompanied by a few other characters. This was the high point of the movie for me. It’s not necessarily the climax of the story, but it’s the climax of the musical score. In the same way “Cell Block Tango” is by far the memorable musical number from Chicago, this banquet performance steals the show.

At first I wasn’t keen on Selena Gomez’s performance. The movie is primarily in Spanish, but with plenty of English scenes too. Her Spanish sounded rough around the edges compared to the other actors. But then I realized she’s supposed to be an American who moved to Mexico to be with her husband. She’s supposed to have an “American” accent when she speaks Spanish. Objection rescinded. Hah!

I’m reminded of the way I felt when I first saw Baz Lurman’s Romeo and Juliet (and perhaps to a lesser extent, Moulin Rouge). The blurring of theatrical visual and audio styles with a gripping, gritty story made me entranced by Emelia Pérez. It truly is a powerfully fresh story told in a distinctive way. We need more movies that step into new territory like this!

That being said, it has a few weak moments and elements. I won’t delve into those here, because this is a blog about what Aaron likes not what he doesn’t.

And with that, I do recommend that you watch Emelia Pérez, but it doesn’t necessarily fall into the category of my “highly recommended” reviews.