Iconic Mexican filmaker Rodrigo Prieto, better known for being Taylor Swift and Martin Scorsese's favorite cinematographer, and the Oscar-nominated director of photography in 'Barbie', had some words to say about Netflix's new movie, 'Emilia Pérez'.
The film, a crime dramedy musical starring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, has garnered criticism for its lack of Mexican talent both on and off-screen. Written and directed by French auteur Jacques Audiard, it only stars one Mexican actor in a major role and was shot in Paris.
Prieto, who was judging at the Camerimage festival and promoting his directorial debut 'Pedro Páramo,' also distributed by Netflix, called the film "offensive" and "inauthentic."
"First of all, I'm unhappy that the film was not shot in Mexico. Secondly, why wouldn't you include more Mexican people to participate in the production? Not even just as actors. We do have Adriana Paz in the film and she's great. I think she's great. It was a breath of fresh air when I saw her in the movie. She feels Mexican to me in an authentic way. Everything else in the movie feels inauthentic and it really bugs me," the 'Barbie' cinematographer stated.
Prieto has long been an advocate for Mexican cinema as part of the wave of successful talent from the country in the early 2000s. The 'Amores Perros' DP who has become a frequent collaborator of Alejandro González Iñárritu, Martin Scorsese, and even Taylor Swift, felt that the film's portrayal of 'a very sensitive subject' should have prompted the recruitment of Mexicans to tell the story authentically.
Prieto added, "Everything else in the movie feels inauthentic and it really bugs me. Especially when the subject matter is so important to us Mexicans. It's also a very sensitive subject. The whole thing is completely inauthentic... But why not hire a Mexican production designer, costume designer, or at least some consultants? Yes, they had dialogue coaches but I was offended that such a story was portrayed in a way that felt so inauthentic. It was just the details for me. You would never have a jail sign that read 'Cárcel' it would be 'Penitenciaria'. It's just the details, and that shows me that nobody that knew was involved. And it didn't even matter. That was very troubling to me."
Prieto isn't the only one who feels this way, as Mexican viewers have thrashed the film on social media for the same reason. The film stars Selena Gomez, a Mexican-American who lost her fluency in Spanish at age six and played the Mexican cartel leader's wife in her first Spanish-speaking role. She prepared for six months to regain her grasp on the language, but many criticized her performance and accent in the film.
The other two stars, Zoe Saldaña, who is Dominican-American, and Karla Sofía Gascón who is from Spain and stars in the title role, have been criticized as well. Mexican actress Adriana Paz is the only lead played by a Mexican actor in the film, whom Prieto himself praised.
"We do have Adriana Paz in the film and she's great. I think she's great. It was a breath of fresh air when I saw her in the movie. She feels Mexican to me in an authentic way." Prieto stated. However, Prieto made it clear that while he is not inherently against foreigners making films in Mexico, he felt that "the details are important," stating "Look at Ang Lee. He's from Taiwan and made Brokeback Mountain. But he focuses on the details. Even me with Pedro Páramo. I'm not from the Mexican countryside but I went and spoke with people to learn how best to depict the culture. It's about the details."
Prieto chose Mexico and Mexican artists such as Netflix 'The Lincoln Lawyer' star Manuel García Rulfo and 'Black Panther' Tenoch Huerta to star in 'Pedro Páramo', his first movie as a director.
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