[Quick Summary: Musical. A lawyer assists Manitas, a drug lord, to "kill" him, help him to become "Emilia" via surgery, and then reunite her with her wife and kids.]
PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the
10 scripts.
I thought it was tricky to adapt this story into a film, and even more so, a musical.*
There is a ton of ground to cover: who Manitas is; his empire; the threats to him; his transition to a woman; her establishing a non-profit to help families, etc.
The strongest story line that drove many decisions was Emilia's desire to be reunited with her kids, which wasn't unexpected.
The second strongest story line was unexpected: Emilia's new romance with Epifania. I found it to be more nuanced visually, with subtext.
The scene below is an example of the second point:
- Prior to this scene, Emilia meets Epifania at the non-profit.
- They go out on a date and stay the night together.
- The scene below is the morning after.
- As Emilia starts to sing, Epifania continues with day's work: dressing housekeeping, etc.
- I liked the first sentence, which specifies: a) they don't see each other, and b) they're in the same frame.
- This is so succinct! It conveys through visuals and space that they're each lost in their own thoughts.
- BONUS: I included the second sentence for the last phrase, "weighed down by love," which I thought was beautifully descriptive.
INT. EPIFANIA'S HOUSE - DAY
...Epifania does not seem to see her although they are in the same frame.....All her gestures are weighed down by love.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked the economy of words. It's hard to quickly convey two people both lost in thought.
Emilia Perez (2024)
Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, Nicholas Liveechi
Based on the novel by Boris Razon
*The Emilia Perez character began as a secondary character in a French novel. Jacques Audiard, the film's writer/director, had the idea to first turned Emilia's story into an opera, then a film musical.