In an awards season where the race still seems to be fairly wide open, one film is gaining more traction than most as the finish line wobbles into view over the horizon.
“Emilia Perez” wasn’t talked about as an Oscar hopeful after it first bowed at the Cannes Film Festival, but eight months on and Jacques Audiard‘s musical thriller about a Mexican cartel boss who undergoes gender affirmation surgery to live as a woman looks like it’s in pole position to land some major statuettes.
On Sunday, it won big at the Golden Globes, emerging ahead with four gongs, including best motion picture — musical or comedy (over Cannes’ Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” which was snubbed entirely), best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña, best motion picture — non-English language and best original song. Just two days earlier, it was the top film out of the BAFTA longlists, with 15 slots across the various categories.
The emergence of “Emilia Perez” as arguably the film to beat isn’t just a testament to the feature itself, but Netflix’s flair, foresight and finances, having splurged on a movie that appeared to have so many red flags that most major U.S. distributors steered clear.
After buying the movie in Cannes for the U.S. and the U.K. in a deal worth approximately $12 million, the streamer is believed to have spent several times that amount on the campaign. But money is just one part of an equation to turn an underdog into a winner. Sure, “Emilia Perez” had won two prizes in the south of France (the jury prize for Audiard and best actress ensemble for Saldana, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selina Gomez and Adriana Paz), but a victory on the Croisette doesn’t always translate in the U.S. awards race (as was seen with the Palme d’Or winning “Titane”), especially when it touches on hot-button issues such as gender. Back in May, many saw “Emilia Perez” as a ticking time bomb.
At a period in the industry when there’s much concern around cultural appropriation and the need for authenticity in front of and behind the camera, “Emilia Perez” managed to triumph despite the fact that its director isn’t trans, doesn’t speak Spanish, shot the entire movie in France rather than Mexico (where it takes place) and did so with a cast of actresses who were chosen regardless of their nationalities (the main trio aren’t Mexican). So how did they pull it off?
Netflix has managed to tell a story around the film — one that both resonates in the film world and strikes a chord in our society — about the power of sorority and redemption.
While she didn’t win best actress at the Golden Globes, Gascón’s turn as the notorious cartel leader Manitas — who fakes her own death to live authentically as a trans woman — has been the biggest asset behind the film, giving it a seal of authenticity. On the campaign trail, she emphasized how deeply personal the role of Perez felt to her as she shared her experience transitioning at the age of 46 and overcoming adversity to pursue her acting career.
After the movie won best female ensemble at Cannes, Netflix followed a sorority strategy, opting to push forward Gascón with the supporting cast: Gomez, who plays Manitas’ tormented wife Jessi, and Saldaña, who portrays Rita, a talented but overworked lawyer recruited by Perez to help her start a new life. The genuine chemistry between the actresses was palpable throughout the campaign.
Even the bad buzz around Gomez’s Spanish in the film, which was slammed by Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez (who later apologized), didn’t catch on. But this isn’t the only backlash “Emilia Perez” has faced, with there being a stark contrast between its awards domination and online discourse, where many continue to attack the film over a number of factors, most notably its representation of Latina women that many have deemed offensively stereotypical and the use of trans identity as a redemptive tool for a murderous criminal protagonist. For all the love among voting bodies, it may well be the most divisive film in the mix this year.
Netflix did, however, look to navigate the film away from any political sensitivities. While “Emilia Perez” may seem inherently topical due to its trans protagonist, the streamer’s tactic during the presidential race was to encourage the film’s leading ladies to not make statements about current affairs.
It’s also notable that Netflix didn’t try to conceal the fact that the movie shot entirely in France and was a fully French production. In spite of his limited English and introverted nature, Audiard — who is one of France’s best known filmmakers, having won a Palme d’Or with “Dheepan” in 2015 and an Oscar nom with “A Prophet” in 2010 — has been campaigning non-stop for a movie that marks his big comeback after a couple films that mostly fell under the radar, including his English-language debut “The Sisters Brothers” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jake Gyllenhaal, and most recently the sensual relationship drama “Paris, 13th District.”
In a year that appears to celebrate European sensibility with “The Substance,” “I’m Still Here” and “Conclave” among the contenders, it seems that “Emilia Perez’s” French touch may have even boosted the movie’s appeal. It could also be the Paris Olympics halo. Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser best expressed that bias when she joked that she “[didn’t] even know what [she] was watching. Then someone goes, ‘It’s French.’ And I go, ‘Oh, OK. This reminds me of the Paris opening ceremony.’”
Of course, the Oscars is an entirely different beast than the Golden Globes, whose voting body is smaller and much more international than the Academy Awards. “Anora” may indeed find more love on home soil where it didn’t from the HFPA.
But outside of the U.K., France represents the second biggest international contingent of AMPAS voters, which should certainly benefit “Emilia Perez,” as should the growing number of Hollywood figures who have vocalized their support.
Whether part of a carefully orchestrated campaign or of their own volition, more famous faces have come forward to give “Emilia Perez” shout outs than any other major film this season. Denis Villeneuve — in the running himself with “Dune: Part Two” — named it one of his favorite movies of last year, while Guillermo del Toro, Michael Mann and James Cameron (who made Saldaña one of the leads in his “Avatar” franchise) all praised the feature. As did Emily Blunt (“a singular experience”) and Meryl Streep (beautiful, smudged, sensual, incredible”), alongside a growing lineup of big names including the likes of Madonna, Eva Longoria and America Ferrera.
It’s important to note that, while the Golden Globes is voted on by journalists, with the Oscars it’s industry peers — and “Emilia Perez” already appears to have its fair share.
Of course, there are still almost two months left to go and numerous more nominations announcements and ceremonies that should help fine tune the list of favorites ahead of the big day on March 2. But right now, a film that some considered too touchy to rally widespread support in the awards race when it first premiered is now one that few would bet against.