The award-winning musical, Emilia Pérez, tells the narrative of a Mexican cartel boss who faked his death, transition, and is seeking redemption searching for the forcibly disappeared. The show has run rife and wild internationally in terms of acceptability. However, its acceptance in Mexico is mixed in bewilderment and criticism.
Award-Winning Yet Controversial
The movie is by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, and Emilia Pérez has stormed the international film circuit. It won the Jury Prize at Cannes and last week won four Golden Globes, including Best Musical or Comedy and Best Non-English Language Film. Though it has succeeded worldwide, it has roused anger in Mexico, where it was filmed but where it has not been widely released yet.
Despite being a product of Mexico, critics pointed out that the film was made by a French director who doesn’t speak Spanish, was shot in France, and merely featured one famous Mexican actor in a leading role. The script was full of terrible dialogue and stereotypes, which online further fueled criticisms.
Familial disconnect provoked amusement mixed with anger
Clips of one of the most important actors in the film, Selena Gomez, have gone viral, with many Mexicans commenting on her poor pronunciation of Mexican Spanish and exaggerations of some cultural elements. Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez also criticized Gomez’s acting performances, for which he later apologized when his comments went viral.
One online user quipped, “Emilia Pérez makes history as the first winner of Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language written with Google Translate!”
Casting Under Microscope
Another area being put under scrutiny is the casting of Karla Sofía Gascón, a Spanish transgender woman, for the title character. Some appreciate the attempt at representation; others say that this film uses trans identity as some kind of cheap redemptive arc for the protagonist.
GLAAD condemned the show stating it was one step backward from the progress of representation and that in developing the character, it seemed “profoundly retrograde.”
Controversy Surrounds Best Musical Award Winner Emilia Pérez
Insensitive treatment of sensitive subjects
The most heated reaction has been saved for the light treatment of grave issues, such as violence and enforced disappearances in Mexico. Over 30,000 homicides are recorded yearly and more than 100,000 people are missing due to organized crime. Critics and activists are saying that this film trivializes these tragedies for entertainment purposes.
Film critic Gaby Meza said the film feels like it’s “exploiting a current tragedy … to generate an entertainment product.
The Director’s Admission Adding Fuel to Critics’ Fire
In an interview, Audiard admitted that research into Mexico itself was minimal with a claim by the director admitting in an interview, “I already knew just enough of it” to give himself the information that he needed.
This amount of research deficiency has led to the perception of how disconnected it seems to be from actuality as presented.
A Story of Divisive Success
Despite the controversy, Emilia Pérez continues to be the front-runner in the Oscars race, as France’s representative for the Best International Feature Film. But in its success lies the very importance of discussions that relate to cultural representation, artistic responsibility, and how the global film industry approaches sensitive subjects.
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