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.

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.

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

The Spanish-language musical starring Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, made history as the protagonist became the first trans actor to win a major award at the Cannes Film Festival