Classic Movies Live Season 6, Episode 4 – Emilia Pérez
February 5, 2025
This week on Classic Movies Live, we’re next in line to talk about the buzziest film of this Oscar season!
From director Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez is an epic crime-thriller narco-musical about a transgender druglord coming face to face with the crimes of her past. From the day it premiered at Cannes, Emilia Perez has stunned and polarized audiences and critics alike. It took home Best Actress at Cannes for all four of its lead actresses, with Jury president Greta Gerwig praising the bold performances, but would go on to be reviled by many trans and Mexican critics for what many consider an offensive, stereotype laden portrayal of communities Audiard admits to knowing little about. Of course, no community is a monolith, and Emilia Perez certainly has plenty of defenders, most notably in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which saw fit to nominate the film for an astounding 13 Oscars.
In today’s bonus-sized episode, Jeff and guest host Ben intend to talk at least a little bit about each of those 13 nominations, as well as how the film works as a film and as a musical.
And of course, because it’s unavoidable, our hosts break down the most recent controversies surrounding the film and its star, Karla Sofia Gascon.
Pierre is absent this episode, but will be back for the next one!
If you’d like to hear more from Ben, you can check out his last appearance on the show just one week ago, when he joined to talk about Wicked! You can also check out his YouTube channel, where he talks about movies, TV, and musicals.
Note: Late into this episode, Jeff mentions a tweet by Karla Sofia Gascon disparaging Selena Gomez. While Gascon’s Twitter account has plenty of controversial takes, this one is apparently fake., or at least hasn’t been verified.
