I had a great time talking to both Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz as much as I watched their fever dream of a film, Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.”  Loosely based on Boris Razon’s 2018 novel Écoute, Gascón stars in the title role as a cartel boss ready for a change while Paz stars as her partner and confidante Epifania Flores.  The fierce Zoe Saldana plays the ambitious and tenacious Rita Mora Castro, Emilia’s lawyer, and Selena Gomez is the mysterious Jessi Del Monte, the kingpin’s wife.

Part musical, part psychological crime drama, “Emilia Pérez” is one of the most original films I’ve seen this year.  And it’s been racking up awards beginning with the Jury Prize and the female ensemble winning the Best Actress award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival where the movie premiered.

In this interview, Gascón and Paz define Emilia Pérez the character, the relationship between Emilia and Epifania, working with Audiard, and what they hope for viewers to get after watching the film.

“Emilia Pérez” is now out in select theaters and streams on Netflix on November 13.