fzirit

2/10

Emilia Pérez: The Greatest Scam in Cinema History. Let’s talk about what is without a doubt the worst movie to ever rack up 13 Oscar nominations. Yes, you heard me: 13. We’re diving into Emilia Pérez, a steaming pile of French nonsense wrapped in offensive Mexican stereotypes. A film so bad it doesn’t just insult its audience—it actively disrespects the craft of filmmaking. First, the origins of this disaster: the director. Naturally, this is a French production. The director is French. The writer? French. The cinematographer, editor, composer, choreographer? All French. And because they clearly couldn’t be bothered, the entire thing was shot in Paris. “But wait,” you might think, “Surely it’s a story about something French, right?” Oh no, my sweet summer child. It’s set in Mexico. But why actually go there when you can just slap on a yellow Instagram filter and call it a day? The plot: a fever dream gone wrong. Where do I even begin? The story follows a Mexican drug lord who fakes his own death, transitions, and returns as “the long-lost cousin” to his own family. Naturally, no one recognizes him. He starts living with his wife and kids, runs a charity to redeem himself, and—spoiler alert—everyone dies because, apparently, the screenwriter ran out of ideas and decided mass murder was the way to go. Sound ridiculous? It is. But here’s the kicker: this movie takes itself seriously. There’s no wink to the audience, no hint of irony. The script is straight-up telenovela trash, complete with melodramatic one-liners like, “How could you be so ungrateful?” And don’t even get me started on the translation errors—because, surprise! The script was originally written in French, and the Spanish dialogue is… questionable at best. The cast: a masterclass in miscasting. Let’s talk about Karla Sofía Gascón, the so-called star of this train wreck. To put it kindly: this person cannot act. At all. Every line is whispered, every scene feels like a struggle, and their emotional range is flatter than a tortilla. It’s almost as if they were cast solely for being trans, because talent? Nowhere to be found. Then we have Selena Gomez, who delivers what can only be described as gibberish. It’s unclear if she’s speaking Spanish, English, or some new dialect invented by a drunk San Francisco hipster on a fentanyl bender. Either way, it’s incomprehensible. The only remotely competent actor is Zoe Saldaña, and guess what? She’s not Mexican either. But hey, at least she can sing. The technical side: Paris pretending to be Mexico. The cinematography is an absolute insult. Apparently, the only way to convey “Mexico” was to throw a piss-yellow filter over everything and shoot in Parisian alleyways that look nothing like the actual country. It’s lazy, offensive, and frankly embarrassing. As for the editing, I haven’t seen this many mistakes since a middle school film project. Abrupt cuts, endless transitions, and even entire scenes that seem to be in the wrong order. At one point, a news broadcast announces the protagonist’s death after his family has already fled to Switzerland. Did anyone proofread this mess? Oh, and the music? A crime against humanity. This is a musical, in case you didn’t know. But calling these songs “music” is a stretch. They sound like they were written by a group of teenagers trying to rhyme “cat” with “hat” and failing miserably. It’s genuinely painful to sit through. Why does this movie even exist? The problem with Emilia Pérez isn’t just that it’s bad. It’s that it thinks it’s important. It wants to be edgy, progressive, and revolutionary—a big middle finger to Trump, machismo, transphobia, or whatever else the filmmakers thought would win them awards. But instead, it’s just late to every party and terrible at everything it tries to do. Final thoughts: an overhyped disaster. This film doesn’t inspire reflection. It doesn’t move you. It doesn’t entertain. It’s a pretentious, hollow mess that insults both its audience and the culture it pretends to represent. If the Academy dares to hand this thing an Oscar, we’ll know for sure they’re not rewarding art—they’re rewarding pandering. So, congratulations, Emilia Pérez. You’ve officially wasted two hours of my life. But at least I can warn you all: don’t make the same mistake I did. You’re welcome.

pedromarvarez

1/10

Spoilers

so… i was born and raised in sinaloa, the narcotown: in general trough all the movie there’s this romanticism that feels fake right away and some feelings of disbelief from just as the movie starts we do see the car who asks for scrap metal passing at 10 fucking pm, rita is captured by manitas when literally manitas is the narco powerhouse allegedly, why didn’t contact any person of power that she knew? and the thesis is that, she is a good person later? with the most obscene arc that is emilia asking for the help of the narcos so they can’t find missing people? missing people from the “searching mothers”? the narcos have disappeared people who search for missing people and speak on it, so for me the work of script is a total fail and an example of what not to do if u want to avoid the feelings of disbelief. i don’t think this argument can’t be disproved by saying it’s a musical, a super pop movie, a camp movie, cause is not. it is pretentious in all the ways possible when is literally a bad novela. as well i feel the music is really lame it could be so much better, i really like musicals but this was so bad. from someone who has been “documented” cause it’s part of their life story and knows about living in a place where just few block aways or outside their house there was a shooting, knows about people has been suspected in a road by narcos, had closed their business due a “right of floor”, knew a person who has disappeared, and all of this just in a lapse of the last 3 months, this is a total disrespect to the people has been a witness and experienced this and the director or even the majority of people in this production had no right to talk about it. what if the mexicans did a movie in mexico and a musical about the attacks from paris in 2015, without any french person, without asking any person who was directly affected by that and without any actual documentation, and the plot is about the people who committed those crimes are good people now… did u felt that? this movie is the perfect thesis of whitesplaining.

Jordyep

3/10

Besides giving us the privilege of a great Zoe Saldana performance where she isn't blue or green, and some outstanding cinematography (lots of interesting camera movement, the lighting is superb), this is pretty much a total trainwreck. It's certainly not for a lack of effort, as there's a pretty bold combination going on here between Baz Luhrmann, Pedro Almodovar and Denis Villeneuve's _Sicario_. However, none of these stylings comes together as the tone of this movie is completely disjointed and all over the place. All the songs are way too cheesy, lacking in good compositional elements, catchy melodies or interesting performances (the mixing choices whenever it switches from dialogue to music are also really distracting). Wouldn't it be more intuitive if the music was hip-hop or rock inspired, given the crime theme? The songs here tend to have that whimsy Disney vibe, and right from the scene in Thailand where transgender operations are portrayed as this funny, quirky thing, I knew this was going to be a rough ride. Not only is the scene hilariously misguided, but it's also a taste of what's to come. Eventually the film starts to draw this metaphorical parallel between transgenders and crime bosses trying to better their lives, it feels very odd to say the least (I'd argue these aren't comparable in the slightest). Add to that the 'you can't escape your past' message it hammers home during the third act, and it all just feels very unfortunate and tasteless by the end. On top of that, the characters remain quite underdeveloped throughout (what's Rita's motivation?; why does the filmmaker expect me to feel empathy for Emilia?; who is Jessi?) and Selena Gomez proves once again that she's not a great actress. Overall, one of the worst Oscar frontrunners to come out in a very long time. I couldn't help but think of _Crash_ for a multitude of reasons. 3/10

AlfieSGD

7/10

I certainly can see why "Emilia Pérez" is considered a strong Oscar contender. The genre mix of crime, drama, and, of course, musical alone makes for a consistently interesting film experience. Visually, it is also quite varied, and the very contemporary trans topic is certainly one that will be well received by the Academy. In any case, it's the kind of musical movie I prefer, namely the kind where the songs drive the plot forward. Perhaps they are not particularly memorable and are unlikely to be effective outside the movie, especially as they are mostly spoken word songs. But they are well staged and fulfill their purpose here. Meanwhile, the leading actresses Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón are quite convincing. And Selena Gomez is also pretty good. All three are able to carry the movie effortlessly and ensure that it never gets boring, even when the pacing isn't ideal. However, I have to add that I was more enthralled by the beginning of the movie than the end. I think that at some point it is relatively clear where the journey is going, and the movie takes much longer than it needs to actually take the steps that are hinted at. Nevertheless, "Emilia Pérez" is a good movie that is compelling despite its fairly straightforward story. For me, it may not be one of the best overall works of the year, but given its individual strengths, I wouldn't mind if it received a few Oscar nominations.

heyflp

7/10

“Emilia Pérez” is a challenge. An extravagant musical about a drug lord who decides to change his life after embracing his identity as a trans woman? It’s such a bold idea that it’s bound to divide opinions, but director Jacques Audiard doesn’t hold back on style or emotion. Despite its questionable choices, the film delivers a visual and narrative experience that, while not entirely convincing, is impossible to ignore. Let’s start by saying the film doesn’t aim to be an authentic portrayal of Mexico. Shot in Parisian studios and led by a French director, “Emilia Pérez” creates a Mexico that’s more like a fever dream than a grounded reality. Audiard uses the setting as a backdrop, focusing more on the protagonist’s internal journey than on capturing the essence of Mexican culture. Still, he incorporates familiar elements, like tabloid headlines and protests against femicides, adding texture to the artificial landscape. At the heart of the story is Karla Sofía Gascón, delivering an impressive dual performance as Manitas Del Monte, the ruthless drug lord, and Emilia Pérez, a woman seeking redemption. Gascón transitions between these extremes powerfully, humanizing both the criminal and her new identity. Her performance in the musical numbers is especially striking, conveying rare vulnerability, particularly when she sings about her transition and her longing to escape the brutality of her past. Alongside Gascón, Zoe Saldaña shines as Rita, the lawyer hired to facilitate Manitas’ transition. Saldaña masterfully balances the absurdity of the situations with a performance full of guilt and ambition. Selena Gomez also impresses as the protagonist’s scorned wife, delivering a raw, daring performance, though her character doesn’t get as much depth as it deserves. The musical sequences, however, are what truly define “Emilia Pérez.” They range from sublime to outright bizarre, with over-the-top choreography and lyrics that don’t always land. At times, they feel forced, but there’s an infectious energy to them—a chaotic invitation to embrace the madness. Audiard and cinematographer Paul Guilhaume lean into saturated, hyper-stylized visuals, crafting an aesthetic that’s equal parts mesmerizing and exhausting. The balance between chaos and precision keeps viewers engaged, even when the narrative falters. Emilia’s redemption arc is the heart of the film, but it comes with contradictions. In seeking to atone for her past crimes, she often resorts to the same violence she’s trying to leave behind. This duality raises compelling questions about power, identity, and guilt, though the script doesn’t always delve into them as deeply as it could. Nevertheless, it’s hard not to be moved by the protagonist’s emotional journey, largely thanks to Gascón’s performance. On the downside, the film struggles with cultural authenticity. While the script includes colloquial expressions and familiar Latin elements, the actors’ accents and Audiard’s outsider perspective give away the lack of true connection to the culture. This can be frustrating for audiences seeking a more genuine representation of Mexico and its complexities. Ultimately, the film is more of a stylized fantasy than a realistic reflection of the social issues it touches on. That said, “Emilia Pérez” doesn’t try to be a traditional social drama. It’s a narcotic opera, a blend of melodrama and extravagance designed to provoke intense reactions—whether admiration or discomfort. It’s a film that would rather take risks than stick to conventions, and that alone makes it worth noticing. Despite its flaws, its boldness and the sincerity at the core of its narrative are hard to ignore. In the end, “Emilia Pérez” isn’t for everyone. It’s a film that challenges expectations and pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable, but for those willing to go along for the ride, it offers a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s colorful, chaotic, and above all, human—even in its excess. A curious mix that, like an unusual recipe, may not suit all tastes but leaves a lasting impression.