In a shocking take from Eugenio Derbez, he recently condemned Selena Gomez’s acting performance and Spanish in the film Emilia Perez. Paulie shares his thoughts and more!

Rosa’s Take

I had the chance to watch the interview Derbez gave regarding the film Emilia Perez. And here are my thoughts;

– Derbez states that Selena’s performance is “indefensible” and that he was surprised the audience wasn’t laughing every time Gomez was on screen. To that, I say there wasn’t truly nothing to laugh about. Selena’s character is a Mexican American who moved to Mexico; Spanish isn’t her first language. 

– He quickly commented on Zoe but dismissed it, stating that her character justified her accent because she was from the Dominican Republic. This is true, but her Spanish was great. 

– Derbez claims that nobody is talking about this for two reasons. 1) people don’t know Spanish, so they can’t distinguish between Zoe speaking and Selena. 2) People are afraid to say anything for fear of backlash. I believe both of these are valid points. And this is a conversation worth having. 

– Lastly, another notable comment he made was regarding the film director. Eugenio said Jacques Audiard is French and doesn’t speak English or Spanish. So, the director’s inability to fully understand what is being said can also impact the performance. This was a valid point worth considering. Because even between English and Spanish some translation loses meaning. 

My final thoughts;

Selena’s Spanish wasn’t as strong as Zoe’s and Karla’s, but I didn’t mind it. Not everyone can speak Spanish fluently, so many (myself included) feel apprehensive about speaking Spanish: We will be criticized. Although Derbez highlights some compelling arguments regarding having these conversations and the director, I wholeheartedly disagree with his take on Selena’s performance. She is an Emmy-nominated actress who’s worked hard and has earned her place in the industry. I understand we are all open to receiving criticism (I’m a film critic; the irony doesn’t escape me). But his take is slightly skewed. News Flash! Not all Mexican Americans can speak Spanish fluently…and with criticism like this, why would we want to?