Afternoon, Cannes is over but the world of film and TV rumbles on. Here’s your weekly dose of Insider news ‘n’ goss from Max Goldbart. Make us happy and sign up here.
18.05.2024 - 21:37 / variety.com
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic SPOILER ALERT: The following review contains some spoilers. Like a rose blooming amid a minefield, it’s a miracle that Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” exists: a south-of-the-border pop opera about a most unlikely metamorphosis and the personal redemption it awakens in a stone-cold criminal. With a Palme d’Or to his name and the cojones to tackle his third movie in a culture and language that are not his own (after “Dheepan” and “The Sisters Brothers”), the director of “A Prophet” takes audiences into the macho realm of Mexican cartels, where Manitas del Monte — a fearsome drug lord with a silver grill and a voice like gravel — wants out, not because he’s had a crisis of conscience, but because he’s decided to embrace his true self … as a woman.
Pardon me if I’ve mixed up the pronouns there. Audiard’s dazzling and instantly divisive film — which stars Zoe Saldaña as the lawyer who helps Manitas transition and Selena Gomez as the mother of their two sons — doesn’t strictly adhere to the codes set by GLAAD and other LGBT advocates, and yet, “Emilia Pérez” emerges as a powerful, unfiltered portrait of someone who challenges several stereotypes at once.
That’s a testament to leading lady Karla Sofía Gascón (who plays Manitas/Emilia) and the audacity of Audiard, who had the good sense to incorporate Gascón’s personal experience into the character. The filmmaker got the idea from Le Monde editor Boris Razon’s novel “Écoute,” wherein the character’s mission is but one of countless questions raised about identity (in the book, Manitas wants to become his first love, who was murdered years before).
Afternoon, Cannes is over but the world of film and TV rumbles on. Here’s your weekly dose of Insider news ‘n’ goss from Max Goldbart. Make us happy and sign up here.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Emilia Pérez” breakout star Karla Sofía Gascón, who won the best actress prize at Cannes Film Festival alongside Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, has filed a complaint against French far-right politician Marion Marechal alleging “sexist insult due to one’s gender identity.” The charges stem from a post on X in which Marechal, who is currently campaigning in European elections for the far-right Reconquête party, wrote upon Gascón’s win at Cannes that “it is therefore a man who receives in Cannes the prize for… best actress. The progress for the left wing is the erasing of women and mothers.” The vitriolic social post sparked outrage within the LGBTQ community and beyond.
Karla Sofia Gascón has filed a complaint with the Paris Public Prosecutor against French far-right leader Marion Maréchal-Le Pen for transphobic comments the politician posted on social media following her Best Actress win at the Cannes Film Festival over the weekend.
Manuel Betancourt The 21st century cheerleader is an athlete unlike any other. With a wide-eyed grin, flashy makeup and a glittering bow to match, she is required to be sturdy yet feminine; pliant yet steely. In “Backspot,” D.W.
French LGBT+ groups have filed a complaint with the Paris Public Prosecutor against far-right politician Marion Maréchal-Le Pen accusing her of “transphobic insult” for comments she made about Karla Sofía Gascón’s Best Actress win at the Cannes Film Festival over the weekend.
Selena Gomez won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival last night (May 25) for her role in the Spanish film Emilia Pérez.The popstar shares the award with three of her co-stars in the film, Karla Sofia Gascón, Adriana Paz and Zoe Saldaña.Emilia Pérez is a musical crime comedy directed by Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust and Bone), and it tells the story of a woman who is tasked with assisting an escaped Mexican cartel leader to undergo sex reassignment surgery.The film received one of the festival’s longest standing ovations after its premiere on May 18, and also won the Jury Prize. It has now been acquired by Netflix.The prestigious win cements Gomez’s gradual move away from music and toward embracing acting full-time.
Selena Gomez and her Emilia Perez costars have so much to celebrate after the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and they just took home one of the biggest awards from the event!
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic CANNES — Hosted by “Call My Agent” star Camille Cottin, the awards show for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival competition is underway. Presenters started making political statements right away, as short film jury president and Belgian actor Lubna Azabal called for the release of all hostages in Gaza.
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival may be winding down, but the Cannes market is still heating up. IndieWire reports that Netflix currently has the splashiest deals of this week so far, with the streamer picking up the US and UK rights for Jacques Audriard‘s Palme d’Or favorite, “Emilia Pérez.” And that’s not the only thing Netflix snagged today. The streaming giant also acquired John Lee Hancock‘s legal thriller “Monsanto,” which has Glen Powell, Laura Dern, and Anthony Mackie attached to star.
All Points East have announced another wave of support acts for LCD Soundsystem‘s headline date at the festival – see the line-up below.The New York band are due to top the bill at Victoria Park in east London on Friday August 23, having previously headlined the event in 2018.Late last year, it was confirmed that James Murphy and co. would be joined at All Points East 2024 by Pixies, Floating Points, Jockstrap, Nation Of Language, Sofia Kourtesis and Eyedress.Today (May 21) organisers have added a host of new names to the line-up, with Joy (Anonymous), The Kills and new NewDad leading the list.The announcement also features Joe Goddard (Hot Chip), MSPAINT, Monobloc, Dove Ellis and Nick Ward.You can see the full line-up for LCD Soundsystem at All Points East 2024 below, and find any remaining tickets here.A post shared by Uber One presents All Points East (@allpointseastuk)Last month, Mitski was confirmed as the final headliner for this year’s edition of All Points East.
“We need more female CEOs.”
Cannes Film Festival. The actress and singer, 31, was moved to tears after her new film, “Emilia Perez” received a 9 minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. This marked the longest standing ovation for any movie premiere at the France-based cinema bash so far this year.A Variety video shows Gomez smiling and tearing up as the crowd cheers after watching her performance in the film.Directed by Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Perez” is about a Mexican cartel leader, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who is seeking gender-affirming surgery.
Selena Gomez is turning heads with her style.
You know a movie has left a big impression at Cannes when the applause explodes in the press room as the cast files in. Such was the case Sunday morning for Emila Pérez.
Ellise Shafer “Emilia Pérez,” the latest Cannes-premiering film from French auteur Jaques Audiard, is many things at once: a gritty crime film, an ambitious musical and a spotlight on trans issues. At the center of the Spanish-language movie are three women – Rita (Zoe Saldaña), Jessi (Selena Gomez) and the title character Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón) — who become forever bonded by their traumatic experiences in Mexico City’s cartel-run underbelly. The confounding elements of the film are what first attracted Saldaña to her role, an overworked lawyer who is kidnapped by a druglord (Gascón) and tasked with assisting her character on a mission to get gender-affirming surgery.
Emilia Perez” got personal about the politics of their genre-bending musical on Sunday. Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez fielded questions at a press conference for the Jacques Audiard project about the film’s setting in Mexico — a country torn by cartel violence as it heads for a summer election. A Mexican journalist asked the actors if they could reconcile the beauty of the film with the real world corruption occurring in the nation.
Guy Lodge Film Critic The very title of “Everybody Loves Touda” poses a kind of challenge to viewers. If everybody loves Touda, dare you not? Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch‘s forthright musical drama certainly doesn’t permit much room for dissent.
Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón, has earned the biggest standing ovation of this year’s Cannes Film Festival so far. Gomez wiped away tears as the Palais clapped for a full nine minutes, accompanied by plenty of hooting, whistling and cheering. During the standing ovation, director Jacques Audiard waved his hat at the balcony as stars Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez shared an emotional hug.
Jacques Audiard’s latest movie, the Spanish-language musical crime comedy Emilia Pérez, had its competition world premiere Saturday in Cannes, where it received a an ovation that lasted more than 11 minutes.
Selena Gomez is hitting the red carpet!