Based on popular discourse, critics often dub one movie a year the “Oscar villain.” That’s usually a film that is a major contender in the race that also has a lot of haters or people who deem it unworthy of all the potential accolades. Jacques Audiard’s crime thriller musical, Emilia Pérez, could very well be this year’s Oscar villain; one only need look to the strong reactions that have flooded the Internet since the film became wildly available for subscribers to watch at home on Netflix. Many critics and viewers have identified potential problems with the representation of certain groups (to specify might be a spoiler). At the same time, the film stars four strong female actors who have been charming the press on the campaign trail; it doesn’t hurt that two of them, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, are beloved pop culture powerhouses.

This episode of The Long Take Review can serve as a microcosm of this polarized discourse, as some of us loved it and some of us (very respectfully) hated it. We debate whether or not the songs facilitate the storytelling, whether or not the film’s themes and plot make sense in the end, and try to determine a floor and ceiling for the film’s nominations and wins.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 27:47 minute mark. If you are still undecided about whether or not you want to fire up Netflix for Emilia Pérez, you can listen safely until then.

Image Credit: LA Times

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Get full access to The Long Take at thelongtake.substack.com/subscribe