2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Kimberly Nhundu)
Emilia Pérez has received acclaim from critics and moviegoers since its premiere on October 25 - and it has finally landed on Netflix for viewers to watch at home. Written by Oscar-nominated French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, the musical follows the journeys of four women in Mexico in their pursuit of happiness. The crime drama centres around Emilia, a cartel leader who recruits a lawyer to help her fake her death by undergoing gender-affirming surgery.
Its star-studded cast includes Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia, Zoe Saldaña as lawyer Rita Mora Castro, Selena Gomez as Jessi Del Monte and Adriana Paz as Epifanía Flores. Fans can expect an unusual mix of genres from the drama . Gascon described it to Netflix as “An action movie that’s not an action movie, a drama that’s not a drama, a comedy that’s not a comedy.
” But what inspired the genre-bending film and is it based on a true story? Here's everything you need to know. Is Emilia Pérez based on a true story? Unlike Netflix's recent hit thriller, Woman of the Hour, Emilia Pérez is not based on true events. However, Audiard has revealed what sparked the idea for the story, which Rolling Stone dubbed a 'Transgender Cartel-gangster musical.
' Chatting to acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Audiard shared that a small section of a 2018 French novel birthed the idea for the drama. He recalled: "I have a friend, Boris Razon, who’s a novelist. I read his novels.
I read [one], it’s called Écoute, and about halfway through the book, the central character, [who is] a lawyer, meets a gang leader who asks him to help him make a transition and change his gender." He continued: "I turn the pages and then the author doesn’t follow through. I [was] very surprised.
I called him the next day [to ask,] “Boris, do you have any plans for the character in the novel?” And Boris says, “No, no that’s it.” So, I stole the idea. I ran with it.
" Although the central character was inspired by Écoute, the musical style of the film came to Audiard during the Covid-19 lockdown. He originally wrote the script as an opera and consequently filmed in a studio instead of on location to mimic the stage atmosphere of a live opera. Later in the chat, he candidly added: "[.
..]There’s very little contemporary opera repertoire, and I have sought to fill that by making Emilia.
" Emilia Pérez is available to stream now on Netflix..
