God… I actually did not need to discuss Emilia Pérez, however right here we’re.
I’m one of many greatest supporters of making a film that authentically represents sure teams of individuals. There are some nice examples of illustration on the market, motion pictures that basically hit the mark and discover race and social justice or the complexities of gender or another trigger.
Different instances, they do not, and Emilia Pérez is a transparent instance of that.
There’s been loads of rage over Emilia Pérez’s win on the 2025 Golden Globes, and as somebody who hadn’t seen the movie but, I knew I wanted to test it out. I am a proud Latina and a member of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and since a giant a part of the discourse revolved round that, I needed to see the film.
Yeah, these components weren’t very effectively represented, for my part, and so they additionally lacked a obtrusive difficulty of this movie, and I’ve to speak about it.
As Each A Latina And A Half Of The LGBTQ+ Group, I Do not Suppose This Is Representing Both Group Very Effectively
Let me preface this by saying I’m not Mexican, nor am I transgender. I’m a proud Puerto Rican and bisexual. Nonetheless, I at the least really feel I can touch upon this as a part of the neighborhood generally – and I’ve to say that this film is not correctly consultant of both of these communities.
I’m the primary individual you might come to with a suggestion for the greatest Latino exhibits to look at, the greatest LGBTQ+ motion pictures on the market, or no matter it’s that you’re craving that actually represents these communities in such lovely, creative methods. Emilia Perez actually tried and failed.
I will give the studio credit score, on the very least, for casting a transgender actress to play Emilia. Personally, I actually suppose all the solid did effectively. Their appearing was fairly good. As a fan of Zoe Saldaña’s greatest motion pictures, I feel she did kill it on this movie.
However that brings me to the subsequent difficulty – Zoe Saldaña is not Mexican; she is especially Dominican. Karla Sofía Gascón, who performs Emilia, is from Spain. Selena Gomez, with all due respect, is half-Mexican-American, and she or he might be the closest any of those essential stars are to being Mexican. There are such a lot of amazingly gifted Mexican actors on the market, and whereas I am positive there is a cause why they went with these three, it simply did not really feel prefer it was as represented because it might have been.
Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto spoke to Deadline about how he feels this isn’t genuine Mexican portrayal.
There are simply issues they might have accomplished higher.
The identical goes for representing the transgender neighborhood. Once more, I can not actually make that a lot of a touch upon that, as I’m not part of it. However from my exterior perspective, it felt just like the sensitivity of that topic wasn’t dealt with effectively. Even the LGBTQ+ group GLADD mentioned it wasn’t a fantastic illustration.
Emilia’s story felt as if it might have had coronary heart, nevertheless it was lessened for reasonable thrills in the direction of the second half of the film and basically made the expertise of transitioning virtually right into a joke.
However The Largest Situation Is The Music. This Ought to Not Have Been A Musical
Yeah, I can not stand the music on this film. Oh my god, somebody tear off my ears.
Look, I do know we’re all making an attempt to make catchy musical music and it seems like most film musicals (until you are Depraved breaking the field workplace) do not try this effectively. However they can not all be the greatest Lin Manuel-Miranda songs and be tremendous catchy.
Emilia Pérez ‘s music is simply fast-talking. There are no actual harmonies—half the music felt like phrases thrown at you with no actual depth. The lyrics weren’t memorable, and the one half that everybody does know is that singular line when Rita (Saldaña) is in a hospital asking about how a lot it’s going to price for a gender transitioning surgical procedure.
Sure, the one catchy a part of this music is the road that degrades a whole neighborhood, and that could be a drawback.
I perceive what they have been going for—I actually do—however I simply can’t get behind it. The songs aren’t good, and the remedy of them makes the subject material of this movie even worse.
This Might Have Been A Good Movie If It Was Given The Correct Love And Care
I truthfully, deep down, imagine this might have been a superb film—a fantastic one, even.
The thought of a mafia boss wanting to depart their life behind and develop into a lady, one thing they all the time needed and really feel is their true physique, is a narrative that would actually work if given the correct remedy. As a substitute, it is changed by poor casting choices and a storyline that isn’t dealt with with coronary heart, combined in with songs which might be in some way making an attempt to catch your consideration however fail miserably.
This film might have been good if it had the correct folks behind it. However I personally suppose that the director (who, by the way in which, is not even of Latino descent) did a horrible job of precisely portraying Mexico (which he apologized for) and used a subject as delicate as transitioning in most likely one of many worst methods doable. All of it’s topped off by songs that I really feel have been extra to trigger a stir than to really entertain and serve the story.
And that is the true disgrace – the potential of what might have been. However sadly, we’ll by no means know now.
Look, there are some on the market to look at, however belief me after I say it is best to depart Emilia Pérez out of it. Whereas I am undecided what award-givers see on this movie… however I will gladly skip it the subsequent time I see it on my advisable web page on Netflix.