Review: 'Ema' introduces a fiery talent in Mariana di Girolámo, as a woman dancing on the edge of an emotional eruption

There’s a thin line between love and hate, The Persuaders (and, later, The Pretenders) sang — and in director Pablo Larrain’s propulsive drama “Ema,” a woman dances on that line for all she’s worth.

Mariana di Girolámo plays Ema, a reggaeton dancer in Valparaiso, Chile, who is in a tempestuous marriage with a choreographer, Gastón, played by Gael García Bernal. Yes, there’s an age difference — and it’s suggested that Ema was once a protege who became a romantic partner. 

It’s also suggested early on — explanations come later — that Ema desires to be a mother, but something horrible happened when they adopted a 7-year-old boy, Polo. The aftermath involves Gastón’s sister, in the hospital with burn scars, and Ema’s fascination with using a flame thrower in her outdoor dance works.

In between dance performances on the streets, and enduring the withering looks from colleagues at the school where she teaches, Ema hatches a plan. It involves a lawyer, Raquel (Paola Giannini), and a man, Anîbal (Santiago Cabrera), and it could give her a chance to reconnect with Polo — or blow up her, and his, world.

Larrain, known to U.S. audiences for “Jackie” and the upcoming Princess Diana biopic “Spencer,” returns to his native Chile (where he also made “Neruda” and “No,” both with Garcîa Bernal) and dives deep into the reggaeton culture. With a vibrant color palette, Larrain (co-writing with Guillermo Calderón, who wrote “Neruda,” and Alejandro Moreno) traverses the chasm of Eta’s emotional state, as she wrestles with her own mistakes and the guilt Gastón heaps on her for their mutual faults.

The movie is a showcase for di Girolámo, in her first internationally seen film (which finished its festival run at this year’s mostly virtual Sundance Film Festival). Both in her dance moves and her acting, de Girolámo channels the pain and rage Ema is processing, as she pushes to have it all — artistic freedom, sexual liberation, family comfort — on her own terms, no matter the cost. It’s a stunning introduction to the world, and makes di Girolámo a face to watch in the future.

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‘Ema’

★★★1/2

Available starting Friday, September 24, for streaming via the Salt Lake Film Society’s virtual cinema, SLFS@Home. Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language. Running time: 107 minutes; in Spanish with subtitles.