Movie fans you have probably heard of " Emilia Pérez " right? It is the movie that's been making waves lately. Directed by Jacques Audiard this film is a unique musical melodrama set in Mexico. It has been grabbing attention for its story its cast and well some controversy too. Let's dive into what's happening with "Emilia Pérez" especially after its big night at France's César Awards.
César Awards Triumph: 'Emilia Pérez' Named Best Film and Jacques Audiard Wins Big
Big news out of France! The César Awards which are basically the French Oscars just happened and "Emilia Pérez" was a major winner. It snagged the prestigious Best Film award beating out some serious competition. This is a huge deal for the movie and for director Jacques Audiard.
Audiard himself also took home the Best Director award. He seemed genuinely thrilled and thanked his "marvelous team" and his amazing cast of actresses. He specifically mentioned Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón calling them "my darling Zoe my darling Karla". It was a big moment for Audiard and the film team at the César ceremony in Paris.
"Emilia Pérez" actually dominated the César Awards winning a total of seven trophies. Besides Best Film and Best Director it also won for Best Adapted Screenplay Best Sound Best Original Music Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography. That's quite a haul showing a lot of love from the French film industry.
Karla Sofía Gascón's Presence and the Controversy: Shadow Over 'Emilia Pérez' Success
Now it's not all been smooth sailing for "Emilia Pérez". The movie has faced some criticism regarding its depiction of Mexican culture and the transgender experience. But bigger than that there's been controversy around Karla Sofía Gascón who plays the title role.
Old social media posts from Gascón resurfaced online and they contained some pretty offensive stuff. Some posts targeted Muslims and others were insensitive comments about George Floyd and diversity. This caused a backlash and Gascón even stepped back from promoting the film for a bit.
Jacques Audiard the director has publicly condemned Gascón's comments. Despite all this Gascón did attend the César Awards ceremony in Paris. She walked the red carpet but didn't speak to the press. She and Zoe Saldaña were both nominated for Best Actress at the Césars but neither won. The award went to French actress Hafsia Herzi. Zoe Saldaña however did win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this role.
Oscar Race Heats Up: Will César Wins Help 'Emilia Pérez' at the Academy Awards?
So what does all this mean for the Oscars? "Emilia Pérez" has a good number of Oscar nominations including a Best Actress nod for Karla Sofía Gascón making her the first openly trans actress nominated in that category. A win for her would be historic but the controversy might make it an uphill battle.
The César wins definitely boost the movie's profile and show that it is a critically acclaimed film. However the Oscars are a different ballgame and the backlash around Gascón's past comments could still affect its chances especially for Best Picture. It will be interesting to see if "Emilia Pérez" can overcome the controversy and take home some major awards on Oscar night.
Zoe Saldaña's Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress is already a big victory for the film and for her personally. She is the first Dominican American to win an Academy Award which is a fantastic achievement. In her acceptance speech she spoke emotionally about her immigrant parents and how happy her grandmother would have been to see her win for a role where she sang and spoke Spanish.
César Award Wins for 'Emilia Pérez': A List of Triumphs
Here is a list of the César Awards that "Emilia Pérez" took home showing its widespread recognition at France's top film awards:
- Best Film
- Best Director (Jacques Audiard)
- Best Adapted Screenplay (Jacques Audiard)
- Best Original Music (Clément Ducol Camille)
- Best Sound (Erwan Kerzanet Aymeric Devoldère Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta)
- Best Cinematography (Paul Guilhaume)
- Best Visual Effects (Cédric Fayolle)