The Oscar-nominated film Emilia Pérez has sparked considerable controversy, both for its divisive storytelling and remarks made by its director and lead actress. Directed by Jacques Audiard, this film follows Emilia Pérez, a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes gender affirmation surgery and grapples with the challenges of societal expectations, power, and identity. The film combines elements of musicals, crime thrillers, and social commentary.

“We see this character transform, from this cold blooded criminal into this tender and socially committed character, but we don’t get the basic storytelling tools to actually justify that transformation,” said Gonzalo Lira Galván from El Heraldo de México.

The film’s unconventional narrative approach, which combines elements of musicals, crime thrillers, and social commentary, has received both acclaim and criticism, leading to debates about its boldness and execution.

“[The film] reminded me of my grandmother’s Spanish language novelas,” said Kiko Martinez of the San Antonio Current and mysanantonio.com. “I mean it was just so cheesy at times, so campy, that I think that throwing everything together like that was just such a crazy experience.”

The film’s reception has been far from smooth.

The director is French, the entire movie was filmed in France, the three lead stars are not from Mexico, and the topics being sung about are serious matters that Mexican people suffer through every day.

“I think there was just no world in which this story about this subject, treated this way, was not going to be in poor taste, ultimately,” said LAist’s Antonia Cereijido.

Much of the latest controversy stems from comments made by its director and lead actress Karla Sofia Gascón. Audiard has called the Spanish language a language of the poor, while Gascón made offensive remarks on Twitter targeting Muslims, George Floyd, diversity at the Academy Awards, and various religions. Critics have also accused the filmmakers of undermining the sensitive nature of the topics explored in the movie.

“I kind of foresaw all the anger that was going to provoke between Mexicans. I was thinking this is going to be very problematic,” Fernanda Solorzano from Letras Libres. “It’s like the worst issue we’re having right now is Mexicans, the violence provoked by drug cartels. So why would a director set his musical, his cheery, weird, witty musical in a place where that is actually a problem? The thing here is that I think I have a very personal reading of the film where at the end, it all comes down to how Emilia Pérez couldn’t escape from the violence in Mexico.”

The LGBTQ+ community, including trans creators on YouTube, has criticized Emilia Pérez for its portrayal of a transgender woman. GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) condemned the film, calling it a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.”

Despite the controversy, Emilia Pérez has earned 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón (who made history as the first openly trans woman nominated in the category), and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña.

However, Selena Gomez’s performance has been heavily criticized. Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez described Gomez’s Spanish-speaking abilities as “indefensible,” leading to widespread disapproval. Selena Gomez responded by acknowledging her limitations but defending her dedication to the role. In the wake of the controversy, Derbez issued a public apology, emphasizing the importance of Latino support and expressing admiration for Gomez’s career and character.

“[The Selena interpretation is] the biggest flaw of the film,” said Solorzano. “It’s a weird film, but the Selena part, the way she interprets her role, it’s weird at a different level.”

Lira Galvan also mentioned that he heard Audiard confess during a press conference at the Morelia Film Festival, that he assumed Gomez spoke Spanish simply because she was born in the U.S. and had Mexican parents, revealing the director’s lack of understanding of the complexities of Latino identity in the U.S.

For Martinez, however, Gomez’s performance and Spanish were not a concern. As a fifth-generation Mexican American who doesn’t speak Spanish, Martinez explained that he felt represented by the way Gomez portrayed her character.

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Produced by Marina Peña. Edited by Fernanda Echavarri. Production assistance by Roxana Aguirre. Mixed by JJ Querubin.

Featured image courtesy of Netflix.