Awards season is usually a hectic time full of emotions, memorable speeches, catchy performances, and changing tides — with some iconic outfits to tie everything up. Even with all the commotion that these ceremonies bring, in recent times, it's difficult to recall another film in recent memory being as controversial as Emilia Pérez. The movie, helmed by French director Jacques Audiard, tells the story of a drug lord’s life in which she transitions to the woman she always wanted to be. The film, told through the lens of a musical comedy, began its run with critical acclaim at Cannes.
But, as the film faced a wider release, it started to receive polarizing reviews. Criticisms have come mainly from Mexican people and the LGBTQIA+ community. More recently, situations have arisen that show part of the cast and crew’s true colors, stealing attention from the film itself. The fact that Emilia Pérez is the most nominated non-English language movie in Oscars history and that, at 13 nominations, is tied with films like Oppenheimer and Chicago, has taken a backseat to a lot of controversy.
‘Emilia Pérez’ Was Considered a Triumph in its Initial Run
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Emilia Pérez had its world premiere back in May 2024, at the Cannes Film Festival, where it formed part of the film selection for the Palme d’Or competition. While it didn’t win, the movie did receive a standing ovation that was interrupted by Audiard to give a grateful speech, then resumed again for a total of 11 minutes. Its mix of musical performances with comedy, through the lens of the transgender experience, was perceived as groundbreaking and fresh. Audiard received the Jury Prize and stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoë Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Pazwere all awarded the Best Actress prize.
Emilia Pérez held screenings at several renowned film events, including the 51st Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and the 22nd Morelia International Film Festival. The movie gained impressive momentum through strong word-of-mouth and support from the entertainment industry. Filmmakers Denis Villeneuve, James Cameron, and Guillermo del Toro called it “original and inspiring,” “bold and daring,” and “a movie that is cinema,” respectively. Emilia Pérez began awards season boldly, winning the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy over Wicked and The Substance. But, at the same time, detractors were also gaining momentum.
‘Emilia Pérez’ Faced Backlash Over its Depiction of Mexican Culture and the Transgender Experience
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As the film’s release went wider, more lukewarm to negative reactions started to emerge, filling social media. Accused of relying on clichés and stereotypes, Emilia Pérez was shunned by the same people it was supposed to be representing — the LGBTQIA+ community and Mexicans. Some criticism focused on the transgender experience being mainly on the surgical side, keeping things superficial. The message the film tries to send about the transition process is muddled, depicting it as a means of escape. Considering it a “retrograde portrayal,” the film was snubbed from the GLAAD Media Awards nominations.
But perhaps Emilia Pérez – along with director Audiard and crew – are facing their most challenging battle with Mexico. After casting director Carla Hool claimed to have searched through Latin America for actresses who perfectly fit originally Mexican roles, it was implied the talent wasn’t there. For that reason, they went with Saldaña and Gomez, altering the characters’ roots to fit them being Dominican and Mexican-American, respectively. Audiard then stated he didn’t feel the need to investigate thoroughly the Mexican context – even when the film addressed the delicate topic of drug-related killings and disappearances. In another interview, Audiard further added fuel to the fire by saying that Spanish was the language of modest and poor countries.
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The lack of research is evident in the film’s music as well. Plagued with nonsensical translations and trite perceptions, it’s baffling to see how these songs have been the winners of awards season. One of the extremely viral reactions to Emilia Pérez is the short film Johanne Sacrebleu, in which transgender Youtuber Camila D. Aurora parodies the movie through odd musical performances and cartoonish French clichés that include Ratatouille, baguettes, Miraculous Ladybug, and handlebar mustaches. The message is clear: if you mess with Mexicans, Mexicans will fight back in the best way they can – cleverly mocking you in retaliation.
The Awards Race has Been Catastrophic for ‘Emilia Pérez’
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In the final stretch of awards season, the backlash towards Emilia Pérez only keeps piling up. For instance, the discovery of it being among the films listed as having used AI – in this case, to match Gascón’s voice to that of her male counterpart “El Manitas” – was met with criticism. A special screening that was supposed to be held with director Audiard and supporting actress Paz at Cineteca Nacional in Mexico City was abruptly modified to only include Paz, leaving the only Mexican actress in the film to attend the Q&A session by herself.
On Gascón's side, she made Oscar history by being the first openly transgender nominee in the Best Actress race. But ever since Emilia Pérez's Oscar campaign began, her declarations have been permeated with arrogance. In a Vanity Fair interview, she was blunt on the subject of detractors of the film, stating that those who didn't like it were ignorant and intolerant. In another interview, she stated that it would be "preposterous" if any of the other nominees won:
"I won’t feel happy if anyone else but me wins. I find it presposterous. When someone tells me 'it seems like you’re angry,' it’s not that I’m angry. I’m glad for them, but let them win another year, when I'm not here." (Quote Translated from Spanish)
In yet another interview, she implied fellow nominee Fernanda Torres was working with a social media team to tear her and the film down. The previous weeks' uncovering of Gascón’s extremely controversial tweets – full of racism, xenophobia, and other kinds of hate speech – brought an avalanche of consequences that have left Emilia Pérez’s Oscar campaign in shambles. Her damage control tactics included a blunt interview with CNN en Español in which no apology was issued and ended up raising more questions than answers – bringing even harsher consequences for her.
The Effect on ‘Emilia Pérez’s Oscars Race Can Already Be Seen
The derailment of this trainwreck came last week, with several reactions to Gascón’s tweets making the headlines. Firstly, Netflix decided to remove Gascón from the remainder of the Oscars campaign. Secondly, while Saldaña addressed the issue with empathy and careful words, Audiard quickly threw Gascón under the bus, saying he “hasn’t spoken to her and doesn’t want to.” Lastly, it was announced that this year’s Oscars were backtracking on implementing the Fab 5 format, in which past winners introduce and praise the current nominees. While not officially confirmed to be related to Gascón’s controversy, it’s easy to connect the dots. What Oscar winner wants to publicly commend Gascón after all that's been revealed?
This weekend’s Critics Choice Awards were the first event without Gascón’s presence, and Audiard lost Best Director to Jon M. Chu, while Emilia Pérez lost Best Picture to Anora. The initially praised film seems to be crashing and burning in the final phase of awards season. While Gascón is reaping what she sowed, it’s also despicable to shun the only transgender person in Emilia Pérez when the film is supposed to honor the transgender experience. But, in the end, it makes sense and reflects what the movie really is – a hot mess of misrepresentation.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
Image via Netflix
Image via Netflix
Image via Netflix
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