When the 2025 Oscar nominations are revealed following delays, Emilia Pérez is anticipated to make a significant impact. This Spanish-language French film has been leading the Oscars shortlist, winning four Golden Globes, and earning three SAG nominations, including Best Ensemble. However, throughout its journey, there’s been an ongoing debate. The film, which follows a drug lord transitioning to undo the damage caused by her past life, was written and directed (in Spanish) by a man who is not fluent in Spanish. Critics have raised concerns about its portrayal of Mexico, trans representation, and even the accents of its actors. Below, you’ll find a chronology of controversies surrounding Emilia Pérez as it heads towards the Oscars.
On May 25, 2024: Emilia Pérez clinches the Jury Prize at Cannes. Adriana Paz, Zoë Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez share the title of Best Actress.
In October 2024, Karla Sofía Gascón shares with Rolling Stone that perfecting the Mexican accent proved challenging, particularly in France where she lacked the advantage of immersion. She mentioned that most Mexicans she’s encountered, apart from the one before her, found her accent commendable. “If I were to speak in my usual accent here,” she said, “you might find it shocking enough to faint.
On November 14, 2024: A video of director Jacques Audiard goes viral on Twitter, where he mentions that he didn’t delve deeply into the study of Mexico because he felt like he had a basic understanding of it already.
On November 15, 2024: GLAAD voices disapproval towards a movie for inadequately representing trans individuals, labeling it “deeply outdated.” They reference Amelia Hansford from PinkNews who describes the film as “sub-par, insincere, and harmful rubbish,” and Harron Walker from The Cut who criticizes the unrealistic portrayal of gender-affirmation surgery, stating that the movie’s depiction of plastic surgery is about as sophisticated as McG’s recent work on Uglies.
24th November, 2024: As a movie critic, I find myself expressing my displeasure over the inauthentic portrayal of “Pedro Páramo,” directed by the talented Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. My disappointment stems from the fact that the film was not shot on Mexican soil. Furthermore, I question the decision to exclude more Mexicans from the production team. Why wasn’t a Mexican production designer, costume designer, or even consultants involved? They had dialogue coaches, but the portrayal of such a story felt strikingly inauthentic to me. A minor detail that particularly irked me was the jail sign reading ‘Cárcel.’ In Mexico, it would have been ‘Penitenciaria.’
On December 5, 2024, Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez expresses his disapproval of Selena Gomez’s accent in a film on the “Hablando de Cine Con” podcast. The show’s host, Gaby Meza, concurs, stating that Gomez appears to be unsure of her lines, which hinders her from adding depth to her acting performance.
In response to your comment on TikTok, Gomez wrote, “I get what you’re saying… I’m sorry I did my best given the time available.” As a child, she spoke Spanish but shifted to English when she began acting. Earlier this year, she expressed joy about learning Spanish again for a role as it felt like reconnecting with her past. She hopes this isn’t the last project she works on in Spanish.
On social media, Derbez expresses his sincere apology to Selena: “Dear Selena, I’m deeply sorry for my thoughtless remarks; they are inexcusable and contradict our shared values. As fellow Latinos, we must uplift each other. There’s no justification for my actions. I was mistaken, and I hold your career and your compassion in the highest regard.
On December 9, 2024, casting director Carla Hool reveals that her team extensively scoured for Mexican actors but failed to find suitable candidates for the lead roles. Despite Zoë Saldaña’s American background with Dominican and Puerto Rican ancestry, Karla Sofía Gascón being Spanish, and Selena Gomez being of Mexican-American heritage, a solution had to be devised to maintain authenticity in terms of accents and characters who may not be native Mexicans.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=4DEUGBq9kKA
On January 5, 2025, Emilia Pérez sweeps four Golden Globes, earning the titles Best Picture — Musical/Comedy and Best Supporting Actress. However, her victories are met with controversy due to category misclassification (in Saldaña’s case), overly emotional speeches (once more, from Saldaña), and a lack of focus on transgender rights in the acceptance speeches.
People share the gender-affirming surgery scene, reigniting the trans representation debate.
And more Mexican writers and actors criticize the film for an othering, inaccurate view of Mexico.
2025-01-10: Adriana Paz, who portrays Emilia’s lover Epifanía in the film, speaks up about its representation of Mexico. Paz is among the few Mexican actors featured in the production and won the shared Best Actress award at Cannes. She expresses her confusion regarding criticisms that the movie is offensive towards Mexico: “I’ve heard people say it’s disrespectful to Mexico, but I can’t fathom why because it didn’t feel that way to me. I’ve asked trusted friends and colleagues, both as artists and individuals, and they share my sentiment. So, I am trying to understand,” she explains to IndieWire. Upon first viewing, she told the director, “You are a genius.
In our initial encounter, Paz shares, “I made it clear to him that what you see in the final scene is questionable, Jacques. It’s as if one can commit wrongs, then right them, and be seen as a saint.” Referring to Pérez’s transition being portrayed as leading to sainthood in the movie. “However,” she continues, “every person has their good and bad aspects. There are many enforcers in Mexico who never wanted to be enforcers; they were forced into this life by criminals when they were just children, eventually becoming part of these criminal networks. Are they evil? Yes, but they’re also victims of a history of violence and corruption. Perhaps some of them yearned for change.
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2025-01-14 23:57