‘El Mal’ Triumphs in Oscars’ Best Original Song Category to Give ‘Emilia Perez’ a Win

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On Sunday evening, ‘El Mal,’ the captivating tune performed by Zoe Saldaña in ‘Emilia Perez’ on Netflix, received the award for Best Original Song at the Oscars. This honor was bestowed upon French songwriters Camille and Clément Ducol, along with their collaborator, director Jacques Audiard.

In Audiard’s operatic drama, Saldaña’s three-minute performance as lawyer Rita Castro is a captivating spectacle. It’s a dream sequence where she dances in a room filled with the wealthy and influential, criticizing those who orchestrated the murders of countless Mexicans during the drug wars, exposing their hypocrisy.

Mick Jagger started off the segment with “Sympathy for the Devil” playing as the background music.

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At the onset, Mick Jagger came out under the tune of “Sympathy for the Devil,” marking the start of the category.

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Kicking things off was Mick Jagger, who entered to the sounds of “Sympathy for the Devil,” beginning the category.

Following his gratitude and expressing his delight at presenting the award, he mentioned, “Though I was honored to be chosen, initially, it wasn’t me who was supposed to hand out this award. The producer had desired Bob Dylan for the task. However, Bob declined, stating, ‘The standout songs this year were undeniably from the film ‘A Complete Unknown,'” Jagger recounted, mimicking 83-year-old Dylan’s dry humor. “Bob suggested, ‘Perhaps you should look for a younger recipient instead.’

“I said, ‘I’m younger I’ll do it’ — so here I am!,” said Jagger, 81.

Moving forward with the common thread, victorious co-writer Camille kickstarted her speech by echoing the “Whoo-woo” call from “Sympathy for the Devil.

With a growing intensity, she shared, “In writing ‘El Mal’, our intention was to condemn corruption. We aspire that this piece serves as an example of how music and art can persist as powerful agents of positive change and advancement in our world.

Emilia Perez” didn’t sustain any injuries from competing in this particular category against herself. “The Bad One” was one of two songs from the movie that received nominations; the other was “My Path,” a romantic ballad that Selena Gomez, one of the co-stars, sang as a karaoke performance. Both songs were penned by Camille and Ducol.

Jacques’ performance seems to reveal more of herself when the lights dim, according to Saldaña in an interview with EbMaster about ‘El Mal’. This song blends rock and rap genres and claimed the Golden Globe award earlier this year.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I must express my admiration for the French songwriting duo who were nominated for best score for “Emilia Perez.” Among them is Camille Dalmais, a renowned singer-songwriter in France, whose melodious voice has graced the airwaves and silver screens for over two decades. Her hit albums like “Le Fil,” “Music Hole,” “Ilo Veyou,” and “Oui” have been the soundtrack of my life. Interestingly, her vocals can be found on the soundtracks of beloved animated films such as “Ratatouille” and “The Little Prince.

Ducol served as the music director for the rock opera “Annette” and composed the soundtrack for the French animated movie titled “Chicken for Linda.

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2025-03-03 05:16