For nine minutes the Palais clapped, with plenty of hooting, whistling, and applauding ‘Emilia Pérez’, a musical drama featuring Gomez. Stars Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez hugged passionately during the standing ovation, while director Jacques Audiard lifted his hat at the balcony.
Huge applause was given to Gascón, who plays a drug gang leader in the movie who wants surgery to change his gender. Gomez couldn’t hold her tears during the nine minute standing ovation.
Saldaña plays Rita in the film, directed by Palme d’Or winner Audiard. Rita is a “overqualified and undervalued” attorney whose practice is more likely to assist criminals than pursue justice. When dreaded drug cartel leader Manitas (Gascón) enlists her to help him covertly carry out a sex change operation to become the woman he’s always wanted to be, she discovers an unexpected route out.
Gomez portrays his gullible spouse. Audiard referred to the film as a “opera libretto in four acts” in an exclusive interview with Variety, citing the performers’ spontaneous creative song performances as an enhancer to the plot.
Having won the Palme d’Or for “Deephan” in 2015, the director is a frequent participant at the Cannes Film Festival. He won three César prizes, including best first work, for his debut picture, “Watch the Men Fall,” which was chosen for Cannes’ Critics’ Week in 1994. Including “A Prophet,” “Of Rust and Bone,” “The Olympiads,” and now “Emilia Pérez,” the French director has six films in the official selection.
Co-producing “Emilia Pérez” are Saint Laurent Productions, Pathé, France 2 Cinema, Why Not Productions, and Page 114, a French production firm. The film will be shown in French theaters thanks to Pathé’s acquisition of the distribution rights.
