After the recent controversies involving Karla Sofia Gason, protagonist of Emilia Pérez, and Fernanda Torres, actress of I’m Still Here, the public is left with the question: Should I watch Emilia Pérez?
Emilia Pérez is a swaggering musical crime thriller of genre-bending and also a trans story, directed by the french filmmaker Jacques Audiard and based on the romance Écoute from Boris Razon. The movie depicts the story of Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer forced to help a cartel leader to receive a gender affirming surgery, becoming Emilia Pérez.
A success or a misjudgment?
The film quickly became the first to receive 13 Oscar nominations. For the critics it is an audacious narrative, with bold visuals. In the words of Pablo de Vita, a film critic, university professor and cultural journalist from the Spanish newspaper La nación “ [Audiard] proves true to himself in his original quest and embraces the postmodern culture of which… Emilia Pérez is a faithful depiction, even in the banality of the treatment of very serious contemporary issues”.
However, Emilia Pérez is still controversial, according to some viewer’s opinions. Karla Sofia Gascon was praised for her differentiated portrait of a character who navigates through identity, power and redemption. But criticism also arose regarding the film’s representation of trans lives and its portrayal of stereotypes.
The premise that the gender transition of a cartel leader may have changed his behavior and caused the character to change to a role of “good girl” is very problematic and a possible moral redemption, because Emilia’s trans identity was often treated as a tool rather than a fully developed aspect of her character. While the film attempts to depict her lifelong desire for womanhood, moments of “mask slipping” reinforce harmful stereotypes.
Also, the French screenwriter received several criticisms on the Rotten Tomatoes website regarding the misuse of Spanish and the lack of Mexican representation, both in the cast and in the landscape of the film.
Therefore, while some saw the film as a necessary step to expand trans representation in conventional cinema, observing Gascon’s performance as innovative, others saw a possibility to start debates about authenticity in the cast and the complexities of trans narratives in cinema.
Next in your list?
This is a thought-provoking film for viewers interested in genre-blending stories, sociocultural themes, and discussions of transformation and identity. Love it or hate it, Emilia Pérez is a work that can provoke conversation, making it worth the watch for those open to its imperfections. But if you are looking for a calm and non-thinking movie, maybe you should try another one.
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The article above was edited by Maria Esther Cortez.
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