Carmen (Melissa Barrera) is forced to leave her home to escape Mexican cartel after the brutal murder of her mother Zilah (Marina Tamayo). Zilah tells Carmen to travel to Los Angeles and find Masilda at La Sombra Poderosa.

Carmen is a novella by Prosper Mérimée, written and first published in 1845. It was inspired by a story María Manuela Kirkpatrick de Grevignée told Prosper Mérimée on his visit to Spain in 1830. Since its publication, it has been adapted into a number of dramatic works, including the famous opera of the same name by Georges Bizet.

Aiden (Paul Mescal), a marine with (PTSD) who had just returned from his second tour of duty. He is currently living with his sister who encourages him to take a volunteer position with the border patrol, where he would assist border guards in protecting the United States’ borders.

PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) is a mental and behavioral disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a person’s life.

On that fateful night, Carmen and Aiden cross paths when a group of illegal immigrants are fleeing across the border. Aiden and his patrol partner Mike (Benedict Hardie) intercept them but Mike refuses to call the border guards as they were instructed.

Mike begins to shoot at the undocumented immigrants as they are trying to run away. Mike finally apprehends Carmen and attempts to kill her on the spot. Aiden has no choice but to intervene by shooting Mike in order to save Carmen’s life, cognizant of the weighty repercussion that will cast him into the realm of criminality.

Masilda (Rossy de Palma) is a formidable presence in this tragic love story as Carmen’s guardian with her intricate costumes and dazzling dance routines. Paul Mescal proves to be a more than capable dancer himself, and he actually can sing really well.

The film is supposed to be a love story between Carmen and Aidan, but it fails to adequately convey the depth and intensity of their passion. As a result, the audience is left struggling to connect with the characters or invest in their relationship. It seems as though their musical expressions are directed toward the audience rather than being heartfelt exchanges between the characters themselves.

Despite its flaws, the close thirty minutes are truly memorable, and that’s probably enough to make the audience overlook the film’s weak points.

CARMEN is a musical drama film directed by French dancer/choreographer, Benjamin Millepied in his feature directorial debut. The film features breathtaking almost dreamlike cinematography by Jörg Widmer and stunning choreography accompanied by mesmerizing music composed by Nicholas Britell, whose noteworthy works include soundtrack of THE BIG SHORT, CRUELLA, SHE SAID, STAR WARS: ANDOR and HBO original series SUCCESSION.

CARMEN premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (tiff) on 11 September 2022. The film had a limited theatrical released in the United States on 21 April 2023. It was theatrically released in France on 14 June and in Australia on 13 July.