"With EMA, Larraín proves that he also has acumen about the issues of Generation Y, Ema's self-emancipation is effected both in her krumping facility and her pyromaniacal predilection (which insinuates Polo's action is not an accident),the darker undertows often threat to divert the film into a more treacherous lane, but all's well that ends well, Ema has no vile bone in her body and EMA is a celebration of understanding and empathy, replete with sex scenes as a veritable means of interpersonal connection, as if asking a naïve question: why do you want to hurt someone with whom you have great sex?"
read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanx.
Plot summary
Ema, a young dancer, decides to separate from Gastón after giving back Polo, the son they both adopted and were unable to raise. In a desperate search through the streets of the port city of Valparaíso, Ema seeks love affairs in order to overcome her guilt. However, she has a secret plan to recover everything she's lost.
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Cinema Omnivore - Ema (2019) 7.4/10
How to fix/break things
Ema, the titular character ... a dancer, full of passion. Maybe even too much passion - if she was as sure of her life decisions as she was of her dancing ... life would be easier for her and her other half (played by Gael Garcia Bernal) ... and the kid they try to adopt.
But because things are never easy, she goes on a trip (no pun intended) of self discovery. Which leads to a lot of dancing, a lot of "sexy time" (nudity included) and hardships. This looks stunning to say the least (no pun intended because of the good looking leads) and tells the story in a way that may not be everyones cup of tea. But if it sparks your interest it will not let go of it. Still tough watch.
Delusions of grief and guilt
Ema and her partner are torn apart after their adopted son proves violent and they ultimately decide to hand him back. Trying to cope with grief and guilt, Ema procedes to seduce both of the child's adopted parents. It sounds like a crazy story, but I think the film is more intelligent than this. My reading of it is not that the events it describes are supposed to be actually happening; rather that they represent a kind of fantasy, as Ema tries to reconcile herself to what has happened and imagine a way forwards, and that the words spoken are not things that are actually said, but rather what she needs to say, and can't. Even then, I didn't really understand the final scene. As a life affirming story, it doesn't make much sense; in my interpretation, it's a thoughful meditation on the sheer difficulty of being human.