'Emilia Pérez' was nominated for 13 Oscars. Why achieve this many individuals hate?

The French director Jacques Audiards “Emilia Pérez”In May 2024, he was made waves among the critics at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. When it won Several awards. It continued 10 nominations Golden GlobeFour, including the very best musical or comedy.

“It's so nice to see a film that is a cinema.” Guing Mexican Guillermo del Toro. Another Mexican filmmaker, Issa López, who led “True Detective: Night Country”, called it “Masterpiece“Added that Audiard presented topics equivalent to gender and violence in Latin America” ​​better than any Mexican who was confronted with this topic at this point. ”

The film is a musical a couple of Mexican drug lord called Manitas del Monte, played by the trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón. Del Monte hires a lawyer to facilitate her long -awaited gender transfer. After her operation, she fills her death with the assistance of her lawyer and sends her wife Jessi, played by Selena GomeAnd their children in Switzerland. Four years later, Manitas – now often called Emilia Pérez – tries to unite along with her family by pretending to be the Manitas' distant cousin.

Why is it bombing amongst Mexican cinema -goers?

Modest research on a “modest” language

As a scholar of gender and sexuality in Latin AmericaI study LGBTQ+ representation within the media, especially in Mexico. It was subsequently interesting to follow the negative response to a movie that critics say that they broke latest ways in researching gender, sexuality and violence in Mexico.

Many of the perceived mistakes of the film appear to be self -indebted.

Audiard admitted that he Didn't research much on Mexico before and in the course of the rotary process. And although he doesn't speak Spanish, he decided to make use of a Spanish script and film the film in Spanish.

The director told French media outlet Konbini that he made the film in Spanish since it is a language of “modest countries, developing countries, poor people and migrants”.

It doesn’t surprise an early criticism of the film centered within the Spanish: It uses some Mexican slang words, but they’re spoken in a way that sounds unnatural for native speakers. Then there may be the over -control of the film to clichés that border on racism, perhaps probably the most outrageous when Emilia's child sings that she smells of “mezcal and guacamole”.

Of course, an artist doesn’t need to belong to culture with a view to present or explore them in his work. Filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein And Luis Buñuel became renowned figures within the Mexican cinema, although they were born in Latvia or Spain.

When researching sensitive topics, nonetheless, it is crucial to take into consideration the angle of the individuals shown, each out of will of accuracy and as a type of respect. Take Martin Scorseses “Murderer of the flower moon. “” The director Cooperation with Members of the Osage Nation to advertise the historical and cultural accuracy of the film.

Gloss over the nuance

“Emilia Pérez” focuses on how violence is because of the corruption prevailing in Mexico. Several music numbers denounce the agreement between authorities and criminals.

That is actually true. For many Mexicans, nonetheless, it seems like a simplified persecution of the issue.

The film doesn’t recognize the confluence of things behind the country's violence. Like the US claim For illegal drugs that results from its opioid crisis, Or the role, the American weapons Play violence in Mexico.

Professor and journalist Oswaldo Zavala, Who wrote extensively About Mexican cartels ,, argues that the film Remains the concept that Latin American countries are only answerable for the violence of drug trafficking. In addition, Zavala claims that this angle increases the narrative that the border between the USA and Mexico should be militarized.

The musical shows only a couple of male characters; Those who appear are violent without exception, and this includes Manitas before they undergo their transition. The cruelty of the Manitas is contrary to Emilia's friendliness: it helps “Find mothers“These are the Mexican collectives of mothers who are looking for missing relatives, which are assumed that they are kidnapped or killed by organized crimes. One of these collectives, Colectivo de Víctimas del 10 de Marzo, criticized the film For the representation of groups equivalent to their recipients of cash organized by money and favored luxurious galas, wherein politicians and celebrities participated.

The leader of the group, Delia Quiroa, announced that the group would send a letter to the academy to specific his conviction of the film.

Counter response on several fronts

These political and cultural blind spots have created a counter response amongst Mexican cinema -goers.

When the film premiered in Mexico in January 2025, It was bombed on the box officeWith some spectators who demand reimbursements. Mexico's Federal Consumer Protection Authority needed to intervene After the film chain Cinépolis had refused to satisfy their satisfaction to honor-Guarante policy.

The Mexican author Jorge Volpi called The film “One of the crosestest and most fraudulent films of the 21st century.”

Trans -content manufacturer Camila Aurora parodyed “Emilia Pérez” in her short film playful “Johanne Sacreblu. “” “In scenes which might be full of stereotypical French symbols equivalent to croissants and baskets, it tells the story of a heiress who falls in love with a member of the business rivals of her family.

While some spectators Nevertheless, “Emilia Pérez” for his nuanced representation of trans women and the casting of a trans actress who has praised the LGBTQ interest representation Glaad described it as “one step backwards for the hiding place”.

One dispute is the music number that Emilia sings: “Medio Ella, Medio él” or “Half she, half he”, which assumes that trans persons are between two genders. The film appears to be presented too The transition of the character as a tool for deception.

A Viper pit on social media

In the meantime, Gascón's historical nominations were the primary to be overshadowed by her controversial statements by the Oscars and other awards.

She made headlines when She accused Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres worker to lose her work. Torres can be an Oscar candidate for the very best actress.

The most up-to-date controversy began at the tip of January 2025 when Gascóns is old Social media contributions reappeared. The news that has now been deleted included attacks on Muslims in Spain and a co-star co-star Selena Gómez a “Rich rat“What Gascón denied writing.

“Emilia Pérez” limp into the Oscars. Have Netflix and Audiard distant From Gascón to the preservation of the prospects of the film on the annual Oscar award ceremony.

It could possibly be too late.