Whether you’ve heard of Emilia Pérez through the initial outstanding reviews or through the online slander, there aren’t many people who haven’t heard of this Oscar winning musical. 

Emilia Pérez, directed by French director Jacques Audiard, is a musical in which a drug lord (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists a lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help her transition into a woman and live a new life. 

All the subjects hit upon, such as being transgender, being Mexican and being involved in a world of cartel violence, were all handled quite poorly. The serious subjects are downplayed and made into something to sing about. While I do believe that “El Mal”, the song that won Best Original Song at the Oscars, had astonishing cinematography, the poorly-written dialogue and song lyrics make me believe there was generative AI in the process of production. 

Although this movie had its bad writing and all its other issues, the cinematography of the film is astonishing and the stand out star, Zoe Saldaña, made a big impact on making me see the little bit of good in a whole lot of bad. This is why it’s clear to me why Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. 

In conclusion, not all that glitters is gold. When I heard about a musical that was taking off in mainstream media, I said “Sign me up.” However, now that I have seen it…I have to say I would rather have not. 

This musical is now available on Netflix.