"Emilia Perez" is not nearly as bad as "Forrest Gump", a movie that corrupted an entire generation to believe that the civil rights movement was a cartoon, idiots who follow orders will be rewarded, and Jenny was born to suffer and be tormented.
I’m afraid I’m in the nostalgic camp of people who grew up with “Forrest Gump”, and continue to have some affection for it despite all good sense or objectivity. If there’s anything I would respectfully disagree with you on, it’s that “Forrest Gump” actually makes me feel something. Perhaps it’s through intense emotional manipulation, but since movies are built to do that anyway, I don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. Plus, at least “Forrest Gump” has the technically ingenious directing from Robert Zemeckis (back when he still made good movies), and Tom Hanks’ performance is great enough to transcend the mawkishness his title character could’ve fallen insufferably into. Plus, I can’t help but be moved by the soulfulness of his acting in the last act of the movie, when he asks if Forrest Jr. is smarter than him, or when he’s talking to Jenny’s grave. There’s heart and soul and earnestness to “Forrest Gump”, and I didn’t really feel much of any of those things from “Emilia Pérez”. Some moments of Gascón’s performance admittedly felt truthfully sincere in a way that made me feel something, but those moments were undermined and drowned out by the rest of the film’s alienating strangeness, and tone-deaf execution. But that’s just my thoughts on the matter, of course…
I am a big fan of Emilia Perez! I saw it early November 2024 at IFC (NYC) because I didn't want to see it on TV. I didn't know anything about it, only the fact that it was at Cannes. I absolutely love it! Last week my friend was going to see it (still showing at IFC ) and I decided to see it another time after 3 months - and so much noise... I was hypnotized! It was pure love all over again!
Hey, if it worked for you, and you enjoyed it, that’s all that matters. Don’t let my thoughts be a drag on your opinion. I do think it’s vital to also keep in mind the most legitimate criticisms it gets from those who the film is about (namely trans people, and the people of Mexico), but so long as you’re aware and in acknowledgement of those things, you can still like the film if it brings you joy.
Indeed! But also there are Mexicans and trans people that loved the movie and those are legit feelings as well but not everyone is respecting that. My main issue is that independent thinking is sadly becoming so rare... and the legit criticisms these days (in any side) so easily turn into hate by some groups. That's so sad and unproductive. I just don't want to participate in any polemic, I am not interested in anything that is seeing as "black or white", I think I leave in the "grays"... and I am happy there. ;)
btw: I highly recommend this text below, it's a very interesting reading (and well written) for anyone with an open mind.
Many interesting elements here, and yes... Emilia P. is really a film to discuss!
But the way I see it, Emilia Pérez is refreshingly different—something that (still) ought to be a quality criterion in itself. Ironically, many of the film’s haters seem to criticize it for not being "straight" enough—as in cliché-ridden, familiar, "seen-it-before" comfortable, and thus—harmless, as a film. In contrast, this film gave me far more intellectual stimulation than most other films. Could it be that many find this more rewarding than a much more predictable and formulaic movie?
Take the songs, for example—they are far more memorable in their non-commercial style and form than in any other musical I have seen! The songs are like Wicked or Cats’ evil stepmother! Isn’t there something of quality, something admirably cool and innovatively fascinating in that? I mean… have you seen anything like this before? I’d argue—no!
All of this also reflects another very important aspect of the film—it’s not a musical, but a wild, surreal genre blend, with a correspondingly "strange" audience experience. The character Emilia, as well as the actress Gascon herself, seem to have received a lot of hate because she doesn’t satisfy trans clichés enough for people (!). The fact that she is portrayed as a human being—who makes mistakes and does things that are easy to condemn—interestingly enough, isn’t "good enough" for the masses. The irony! Who ever said trans people are flawless?! Certainly not Emilia Pérez!
If there’s one thing Emilia Pérez illustrates most strongly for me, it’s that the film has become a catalyst for what audiences (not critics, since they have fortunately seen the film’s value) struggle to accept in cinema. If a film is too boundary-pushing and too little formula- or genre-friendly, it seems to short-circuit many people’s brains. In that sense, Emilia Pérez will go down in history as one of the most interesting, fascinating, and important cinematic experiences of our time. Because… who talks about Cats (2019) in a film-historical context today or in the future? No one. But we will be talking about Emilia Pérez for a long, long time. That, in itself, is a value. Not everything has to be loved, of course, and much can be criticized, but this film pushes boundaries and forces us to talk. That, at the very least, is a value in itself.
Finally, much of the criticism here seems to insinuate that thousands of Academy members were actually bought and paid for. Seriously? Do you really believe that yourself?! Could it be that, for example, the unique musical numbers and music were actually remembered and appreciated because they were innovative, as opposed to the far more boring and conventional nominees? I also notice that you have skipped over 7 of its Oscar nominations, which means that at least those 7 are acceptable nominations, even from your perspective? In other words—still a pretty good film, no? ;)
It’s always easy to point to conspiracies and wishful thinking. It’s another thing to break through one’s own prejudices. That takes a bit more effort from all of us.
"Emilia Perez" is not nearly as bad as "Forrest Gump", a movie that corrupted an entire generation to believe that the civil rights movement was a cartoon, idiots who follow orders will be rewarded, and Jenny was born to suffer and be tormented.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
I’m afraid I’m in the nostalgic camp of people who grew up with “Forrest Gump”, and continue to have some affection for it despite all good sense or objectivity. If there’s anything I would respectfully disagree with you on, it’s that “Forrest Gump” actually makes me feel something. Perhaps it’s through intense emotional manipulation, but since movies are built to do that anyway, I don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. Plus, at least “Forrest Gump” has the technically ingenious directing from Robert Zemeckis (back when he still made good movies), and Tom Hanks’ performance is great enough to transcend the mawkishness his title character could’ve fallen insufferably into. Plus, I can’t help but be moved by the soulfulness of his acting in the last act of the movie, when he asks if Forrest Jr. is smarter than him, or when he’s talking to Jenny’s grave. There’s heart and soul and earnestness to “Forrest Gump”, and I didn’t really feel much of any of those things from “Emilia Pérez”. Some moments of Gascón’s performance admittedly felt truthfully sincere in a way that made me feel something, but those moments were undermined and drowned out by the rest of the film’s alienating strangeness, and tone-deaf execution. But that’s just my thoughts on the matter, of course…
😁
I am a big fan of Emilia Perez! I saw it early November 2024 at IFC (NYC) because I didn't want to see it on TV. I didn't know anything about it, only the fact that it was at Cannes. I absolutely love it! Last week my friend was going to see it (still showing at IFC ) and I decided to see it another time after 3 months - and so much noise... I was hypnotized! It was pure love all over again!
Hey, if it worked for you, and you enjoyed it, that’s all that matters. Don’t let my thoughts be a drag on your opinion. I do think it’s vital to also keep in mind the most legitimate criticisms it gets from those who the film is about (namely trans people, and the people of Mexico), but so long as you’re aware and in acknowledgement of those things, you can still like the film if it brings you joy.
=))
Indeed! But also there are Mexicans and trans people that loved the movie and those are legit feelings as well but not everyone is respecting that. My main issue is that independent thinking is sadly becoming so rare... and the legit criticisms these days (in any side) so easily turn into hate by some groups. That's so sad and unproductive. I just don't want to participate in any polemic, I am not interested in anything that is seeing as "black or white", I think I leave in the "grays"... and I am happy there. ;)
btw: I highly recommend this text below, it's a very interesting reading (and well written) for anyone with an open mind.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thetreatment/p/look-i-get-it-an-emilia-perez-reflection?r=48max4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Many interesting elements here, and yes... Emilia P. is really a film to discuss!
But the way I see it, Emilia Pérez is refreshingly different—something that (still) ought to be a quality criterion in itself. Ironically, many of the film’s haters seem to criticize it for not being "straight" enough—as in cliché-ridden, familiar, "seen-it-before" comfortable, and thus—harmless, as a film. In contrast, this film gave me far more intellectual stimulation than most other films. Could it be that many find this more rewarding than a much more predictable and formulaic movie?
Take the songs, for example—they are far more memorable in their non-commercial style and form than in any other musical I have seen! The songs are like Wicked or Cats’ evil stepmother! Isn’t there something of quality, something admirably cool and innovatively fascinating in that? I mean… have you seen anything like this before? I’d argue—no!
All of this also reflects another very important aspect of the film—it’s not a musical, but a wild, surreal genre blend, with a correspondingly "strange" audience experience. The character Emilia, as well as the actress Gascon herself, seem to have received a lot of hate because she doesn’t satisfy trans clichés enough for people (!). The fact that she is portrayed as a human being—who makes mistakes and does things that are easy to condemn—interestingly enough, isn’t "good enough" for the masses. The irony! Who ever said trans people are flawless?! Certainly not Emilia Pérez!
If there’s one thing Emilia Pérez illustrates most strongly for me, it’s that the film has become a catalyst for what audiences (not critics, since they have fortunately seen the film’s value) struggle to accept in cinema. If a film is too boundary-pushing and too little formula- or genre-friendly, it seems to short-circuit many people’s brains. In that sense, Emilia Pérez will go down in history as one of the most interesting, fascinating, and important cinematic experiences of our time. Because… who talks about Cats (2019) in a film-historical context today or in the future? No one. But we will be talking about Emilia Pérez for a long, long time. That, in itself, is a value. Not everything has to be loved, of course, and much can be criticized, but this film pushes boundaries and forces us to talk. That, at the very least, is a value in itself.
Finally, much of the criticism here seems to insinuate that thousands of Academy members were actually bought and paid for. Seriously? Do you really believe that yourself?! Could it be that, for example, the unique musical numbers and music were actually remembered and appreciated because they were innovative, as opposed to the far more boring and conventional nominees? I also notice that you have skipped over 7 of its Oscar nominations, which means that at least those 7 are acceptable nominations, even from your perspective? In other words—still a pretty good film, no? ;)
It’s always easy to point to conspiracies and wishful thinking. It’s another thing to break through one’s own prejudices. That takes a bit more effort from all of us.