By Laura Medina
Netflix has never been a traditional movie studio nor a television network. It has always been and proud of using tv series and movies to push boundaries and expand horizons of what it means to be human.
Streamers also provide opportunities for actors to broaden their horizons, widen their range, flex that acting muscle, and bust out of those lucrative but restricting pigeon holes.
In gender-and genre-defying “Emilia Perez,” it examines stereotypical machismo versus machisma. It also showcases today’s modern, contemporary Mexican culture and society, regarding race, ethnicity, and gender identity expectations and true desired identity, LGBTQ, and what makes one Mexican and Latin and Hispanic.
Zoe Saldaña is a black Mexican lawyer hired by a drug lord to help him tie up loose ends and research the safest place for trans-gender operations when he decided to start his trans-gender transition. This is not to be taken lightly or be taken for granted in Mexico’s male chauvinistic society.
“Emilia Perez” is all about finding true happiness, even sacrificing for true happiness.
That’s just the beginning of both characters’ journey.
Selena Gomez busts her goody-two shoes persona, in being a drug lord trophy wife turned heartbroken widow trying to move on with a previous lover, while fighting over child custody and alimony, that turned bloody.
Edgar Ramirez plays the rebound lover.
The true crux that “Emilia Perez” pivots on is Spanish trans actress, Karla Sofia Gascon, who, in real life, used to be telenova heart-throb, Juan Carlos Gascon.
If there’s anyone best qualified to play a macho male drug lord turned a good hearted trans woman, the title character “Emilia Perez,” running a victims’ charity. A she righting the wrongs of her old, male past, it would be Karla Sofia Gascon.
Ask any father turned trans, breaking free from the past ain’t easy with kids. Imagine the complications with dad returning as aunt; and the wife doesn’t have a clue.
Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez really flex their singing vocal cords and dancing muscles in their characters’ inner thoughts introspective song & dance numbers. For Zoe, it’s returning to her Hispanic heritage and dance roots. The same with Selena.
The cast of Edgar Ramirez, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofia Gascon really bust and crush Latin stereotypes.
This is Zoe’s most realistic role yet.
The protagonist, Emilia Perez, realizes she can’t really leave behind the past. Her child custody fight and alimony brings back the old, machismo male drug lord.
At the end, “Emilia Perez,” shows who’s the real lord. The only thing this scribe can say, is it is machisma that shows who’s boss.
If you want to find out, watch Netflix’s “Emilia Perez.”
No comments:
Post a Comment