With the film awards season starting in earnest in the USA and Europe, it’s rewarding to watch the films that will generate a buzz. Here are two that have not been shown commercially here in the Philippines. 

Emilia Pérez (Netflix USA and Europe) - A narco-crime telenovela musical (yes, do believe what you’ve just read) set primarily in Mexico, this winner of a Grand Jury and Best Actress Prize at Cannes will surprise most, as its title character is a transgender role played by a real transgender actress - Karla Sofia Gascon. Zoe Saldana plays Rita, a lawyer who is disillusioned by how she’s been defending the guilty and getting paid a pittance when she does all the legal research and arguments. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes her way to help a drug cartel kingpin ‘disappear’ and re-emerge as a woman, it’s an offer she can’t refuse.

Complications arise from the boss’ wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), and the two sons. Given that we’re talking of a French director and lead actresses who weren’t born in Mexico, one could cast charges of cultural appropriation to this film. Still, director Jacques Audiard’s heart is in the right place. He tackles issues such as the desaparecido of the narco-wars, that of identity and family, and retribution and justice. You’ll either love this outlandish film or hate it for being such a colossal disaster. There won’t be much sitting on the fence with this film. The acting of Saldana and Gascon are impressive, and you can’t deny the energy and commitment of the team to Audiard’s vision. 

A Different Man (Amazon on Demand) This psychological drama directed by Aaron Schimbeg has already picked up the prize of Best Feature at the Gotham Awards and has earned notices and Best Actor nominations for Sebastian Stan. Set in New York, the film sensitively handles the issue of physical deformities, identity, and the adage of being careful about what you wish for. Undersecretary heavy prosthetics, we first meet Stan portraying Edward, who suffers from neurofibromatosis. In the film's first twenty minutes, we watch Edward going through his life, and no one comments about or reacts to his deformed face. It says a lot that we, as the audience, are uncomfortable. 

The premise concerns a radical medical procedure that Edward willingly undertakes, turning him into a normal-looking person. So he doesn’t have to explain; he assumes a new identity as Guy. He was playing cute with a budding playwright and director (Renate Reinsve), and when she wrote a play about Edward, many crazy things started to happen. This includes the entry of Oswald (Adam Pearson), who also suffers from neurofibromatosis but is exceptionally comfortable and confident in his condition. Given that we had The Substance in 2024, here is another form of body horror, but done in a neat reverse format. There’s a lot of drama here, even if it isn’t the easiest of films to watch.