Zoe Saldaña has already given us so much – emotionally pivotal characters in three bestselling film franchises, on top of a long list of TV and movie credits – her role in Netflix’s genre-busting new thriller/musical hybrid “Emilia Pérez” feels like icing on a very rich cake.

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. His ambition, however, outpaces ...