Karla Sofía Gascón’s performance in “Emilia Pérez” as a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirmation surgery to become a woman has brought her global acclaim and set Gascón on a path that may make her the first openly transgender actor ever nominated for an Oscar.

The movie musical could use a radical reimagining, and Jacques Audiard gives it his best shot with Emilia Pérez, an unconventional mixture of crime picture, soap opera, heartwarming fable, and song-and-dance showstopper.

When “Emilia Pérez” is firing on all cylinders, it’s not hard to set picayune reservations aside. This is a rich and rewarding film.

Trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón is a revelation starring opposite Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña in Netflix's ambitious new movie "Emilia Pérez."