Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” is an Oscar contender unlike any other. It’s a musical, a trans parable, and a Mexico-set melodrama, all combined into one unique amalgamation by an international filmmaking team.
And just as singularly, it’s a best picture front-runner that, it sometimes seems, no one likes.
On one hand, “Emilia Pérez” is one of the most celebrated films of the year. It triumphed at the Golden Globes, earned 11 BAFTA nominations and landed 13 Academy Award nominations. Only three movies, ever, have scored more.
On the other hand, “Emilia Pérez” has been lampooned for its tonal extremes, criticized for its depiction of Mexican culture and engulfed in controversy since it ascended to Oscar-favorite status.
Also, it’s a huge step backwards in terms of trans representation. A trans filmmaker breaks it all down here: The Racist Cisgender Nonsense of Emilia Perez
This is especially egregious as one of the best films about the trans experience in decades also came out this year, and was completely snubbed by the Academy.
