The case for Emilia Pérez
The crime drama and musical from Frenchman Jacques Audiard has been marred by controversy, but remains a fearless adrenaline shot
Netflix
- James Mottram
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A joyous and daring musical, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez started its public journey in Cannes last May, where critics were overwhelmingly positive and the film saw the four female leads – Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz – take a share of the Best Actress prize. Since then, until recently at least, this Mexican-set tale of a cartel boss named Manitas who undergoes gender re-assignment has been a hot favourite in the awards season.
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Bought by Netflix, the film won four Golden Globes, including Best Picture in the musical or comedy category. Better still, it gained 13 Oscar nominations, the most ever by a non-English language film. But then came the backlash, from Mexican commentators complaining the film is an inauthentic representation of their country to LGBTQ+ advocates claiming it’s not a good representation of the trans community.
Worse was to come as old social media posts by Gascón – the first ever trans performer to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar – were unearthed. To put it mildly, Gascón’s opinions were deeply problematic, ranging from offensive comments about Islam to police brutality victim George Floyd (whom she dubbed “a drug addict swindler”). Such comments threw Emilia Pérez’s campaign into chaos, as Audiard and others backed away from Gascón.
Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Pérez and Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro in Emilia Pérez. Why Not Productions/Pathé Films/France 2 Cinéma
What harm Gascón’s spectacular self-sabotage has fully done to her and Emilia Pérez’s chances at the Oscars will only become clearer after the ceremony has unfolded. At the recent BAFTAs, the film took the prize for Best Foreign Film while Best Supporting Actress was won by Saldaña, whose terrific work as the campaign lawyer Rita deserves to be recognised. But without doubt, Emilia Pérez also deserves to win Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards.
When I first saw the film in Cannes last year, long before controversies swirled, it was at an 8.30am screening halfway through the festival (usually when journalists are truly flagging). But it felt like an adrenaline shot; here was a film that felt fresh and unusual, especially coming from Audiard. The French director has engaged with the crime genre before, with more traditional films like prison drama A Prophet (2009) and The Beat My Heart Skipped, his 2005 remake of James Toback’s Fingers (1978). But this was different.
Selena Gomez as Jessi in Emilia Pérez. Netflix
Here was a genre-bending film that felt unclassifiable; a cartel story, a transgender tale, a full-blown musical, and a social-political drama all rolled into one. That takes some serious chutzpah on the part of Audiard and his co-writers. Art should be about taking risks and, more than the other nominees this year, Emilia Pérez is a high-wire act that should be applauded for its bravery, shining a spotlight on everything from trans issues to the troubling violence at the heart of Mexican society.
The performances are as vivid as Damien Jalet’s choreography and the memorable songs by Clément Ducol and Camille. Whatever the controversy around her, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Gascón pulls off the near-impossible, playing both Manitas and the woman he transitions to, Emilia Pérez. Likewise, Saldaña’s spiky, energetic turn has spotlighted an actress who has too often been a cog in CGI spectacles like Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro in Emilia Pérez. Netflix
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If Emilia Pérez were to claim Best Picture, it would offer further proof to Hollywood that subtitled films can draw in audiences. Moreover, it shows that transgender stories are there to be told (and that trans actors deserve more leading roles). Above all, it’s a film that pushes the form. Taking the song-and-dance genre in a new direction, the movie musical will never be the same again.
Authors
James Mottram
James Mottram is a London-based film critic, journalist, and author.
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