This transgender musical gangster epic (with subtitles!) is a wildly unique piece of storytelling, a soapy melodrama set against the criminal underworld, like if Baz Luhrmann took a crack at "Sicario." And its themes go back to prove that old "Magnolia" adage: We may be through the with past, but the past ain't through with us.

The performances of Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña bring energy and emotion, but the movie never gets beyond its splashy surfaces.

The musical numbers are nothing if not stylistically diverse. (The score and songs are by film composer Clément Ducol and the singer Camille, longtime collaborators.) Rita’s opening number, "Alegato," is a classic "I want" song,