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Forget 'Emilia Pérez.' Its parody, 'Johanne Sacreblu,' is the real work of art

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Forget 'Emilia Pérez.' Its parody, 'Johanne Sacreblu,' is the real work of art

I’m here to champion a work of art that centers a transgender woman in the lead role, to make the case for thought-provoking cinema that subverts tropes by radically embracing them.

I could only be speaking, of course, of “Johanne Sacreblu,” the “Emilia Pérez” homage and the directorial debut of Mexican filmmaker Camila Aurora. In addition to being the most compelling conflict between France and Mexico since the Battle of Puebla, it’s the critique of shallow Hollywood representation I’ve been waiting for.

To access “Johanne Sacreblu” as a text, you need both a working knowledge of Spanish (there are, as of the time I’m writing this, no English subtitles) and of “Emilia Pérez,” the polarizing musical directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard that recently snatched up a mind-blowing 13 Oscar nominations. In order to get to France, we have to cruise through Mexico, which, in “Emilia Pérez,” is just France with a sepia filter. Regardless, allons-y.

A plot synopsis does vanishingly little to capture the “Emilia Pérez “ viewing experience, but it’s the logical jump-off: Rita Mora Castro, played by Zoe Saldaña, is an underappreciated lawyer who, fed up with defending murderous criminals, takes up an offer to work with a Mexican cartel boss, Manitas del Monte, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who hires Castro to facilitate her transition. Following this, and with the assistance of Castro, she fakes her own death, leaving her mourning wife, Jessi, played by Selena Gomez, and her two children in the dark to move forward as the titular Emilia. She then launches an NGO with Castro at her side called La Lucecita that searches for victims of the cartel-related violence that Pérez herself inflicted a great deal of. Don’t worry, this never becomes a real conflict.

Personally, I’ll never understand how someone could make such a reckless lifestyle change (going into grueling nonprofit work), but I tried to keep an open mind before pressing play and to ignore the feverish criticism surrounding the film, which has ramped up significantly in the wake of its Oscar noms. LGBTQ+ media watchdog GLAAD recently decried its representation of trans people, calling it “a step backwards.” It’s also been lambasted by Mexicans, many of whom say that the film’s handling of the very real issue of cartel violence is clumsy and insensitive, and who have noted that it has zero Mexican actors in its principal roles.

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They have a point. Looking at it that way, “Emilia Pérez” is a bit like if a Chilean director made a musical about the Jan. 6 insurrection and cast mostly Thai people. That is a film I would absolutely watch, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there. The thing is, “Emilia Pérez” is not terribly concerned with a nuanced or accurate depiction of cartel violence in Mexico. The director has all but stated as such, saying that he “didn’t study much” on the subject.

Sure, but whatever one feels about the ethics of “Emilia Pérez,” the bigger problem, for me, is that it quickly begins to take itself deathly seriously. It uses cartel violence in Mexico as its engine to launch itself into the realm of Very Important Art (and Oscar territory), and I find that to be a rather bizarre choice for this film, which features a musical number set in a Bangkok surgery clinic containing the lyrics “penis to vagina.” I do think it should have chosen between that sort of campiness and “isn’t it a tragedy, how those brown folks down there are living?” “Emilia Pérez’s” lack of homework wasn’t a problem until it started applying to Ivy Leagues and getting in on a full ride. The film crumbles under the weight that it demanded we give it.

In this sense, “Emilia Pérez” feels a bit like “American Dirt: The Musical.” The latter is a novel that should have been marketed as a cut-and-dried narco thriller but was instead positioned as an overdue humanization of the undocumented experience at the Mexican border. It received a backlash so vociferous that Oprah, who previously made it a book club pick, sat down with the author, Jeanine Cummins, to talk about it. Indeed, the parallels between the public response to “Emilia Pérez” and “American Dirt” are striking. The best response to “Emilia Pérez” so far, though, is “Johanne Sacreblu.”

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“A group of Mexicans responded to Emilia Perez by creating a short film titled Johanne Sacrebleu–a French-inspired film made entirely without a French cast or crew,” reads a popular post of a screenshot on X, accompanied by the caption, “Gotta love spite.” The short film tells the story of Johanne Sacreblu, a trans baguette heiress, who falls for Agtugo Ratatouille, a trans croissant heir, in a comedic riff on Romeo and Juliet. It’s delightfully lacking in nuance, portraying every last French person as a mime or a beret-wearing wino speaking broken, heavily accented French. They are also nearly universally being piloted by rats, as in Pixar’s “Ratatouille.” It’s a complete mess, which is the point.

While “Johanne Sacreblu” is undeniably a targeted rebuttal against “Emilia Pérez,” I also see it as a layered criticism of Hollywood’s exoticization of Latin America, and the vapidity of its representation of Latinos. The poorly drawn mustaches, mimes and baguettes in “Johanne Sacreblu” assert that “representation” is most often entirely cosmetic and reliant on almost offensively obvious signifiers meant not for the community being depicted, but for people who want to feel good for seeing that community being depicted at all, people who need their diversity in all caps and a ridiculously large font for it to be legible.

I see in it a salient point about the cluelessness of our cultural institutions — institutions that, following the recent presidential election and amid the rollback of diversity initiatives, are all but declaring, “we tried the diversity thing, and it didn’t work!” But, did they? Or did they just pump out a few products meant primarily to assuage their own guilt, products that screamed “progress” at a ridiculous decibel but, ultimately, had little by way of substance?

“Johanne Sacreblu” also models what media criticism can look like in an era in which there’s general fatigue with, let’s call it “call-out culture.” More effective than a hectoring thread on social media is making something new, something funny. Aurora embraced humor to make her point, and it’s been hilarious watching viewers get in on the joke, leaving comments about how refreshing it is to see such an authentic representation of French culture. It’s even on social film platform Letterboxd, where it currently has a rating of 4.6. The audience, too, becomes part of the satire, a mocking representation of Hollywood representation itself. It’s exciting. It’s fun.

Still, it’s worth recognizing that “Emilia Pérez” is situated in a precarious spot in our present cultural landscape. From a U.S. perspective, I welcome trans actors being recognized for their work, and I wish Sofía Gascón success in her career. She’s very talented, and with trans people being targeted, seeing a trans woman nominated for best actress is heartening. I also have a knee-jerk reaction to defend difficult films, and I think that, especially around Oscars season, one film tends to find itself in a villain role, and its flaws become magnified to the point of absurdity.

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But, ultimately, “Emilia Pérez” invited such scrutiny. If it had been a comedy that touched on themes of redemption, then maybe its shallow deployment of cartel violence would be forgivable. But the film wants to be something heavier than that. As a musical, the songs are mostly forgettable. As a drama, it struggles to maintain tension. What we’re left to focus on is its message about murders and disappearances in Mexico, and on its representation, on it prominently featuring a trans actress and Latino characters. I can only speculate, but I wager that this representation of two often ignored demographics featured in its Oscars campaign.

Representation alone, though, simply isn’t enough. I don’t think “Emilia Pérez” is as evil as some people are making it out to be, but I find it far too confused and unwieldy to have warranted the awards recognition it’s received so far. Between the two, its parody has the stronger message.

Sacrebleu!

JP Brammer is a columnist, author, illustrator and content creator based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is the author of ”Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons,” based on his advice column. He has written for outlets including the Guardian, NBC News and the Washington Post. He writes regularly for De Los.

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Entertainment

KCAL journalist Chauncy Glover's cause of death revealed, ruled an accident

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KCAL journalist Chauncy Glover's cause of death revealed, ruled an accident

Emmy-winning news anchor Chauncy Glover died with drugs in his system and his death has been ruled an accident, according to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.

The medical examiner’s office confirmed Wednesday in a statement that the 39-year-old’s death was caused by “acute intoxication by the combined effects of chloroethane and methamphetamine.” The manner of his death was listed as an accident.

Glover was found unresponsive in his home on Nov. 5 and was pronounced dead by fire department personnel at 12:40 a.m., the agency said. A deputy medical examiner completed an examination the following day, and, after running relevant tests and studies, the cause and manner of Glover’s death were certified Wednesday. The medical examiner’s report is expected to be ready by the end of March, the statement said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says chloroethane, which is also called ethyl chloride, is a colorless gas with a sharp odor that can also exist as a quick-evaporating liquid. It is used as a solvent, refrigerant, topical anesthetic and in the manufacture of dyes, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, as well as a medication to alleviate pain associated with insect burns and stings, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

It is not yet clear how Glover came into contact with the chemical.

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The Alabama-born journalist joined the KCAL News team — CBS News’ Los Angeles affiliate — in October 2023 and co-anchored the 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts with Pat Harvey and the 8 and 10 p.m. newscasts with Suzie Suh. Before that, Glover spent eight years as the first main Black male anchor at KTRK in Houston and also reported for stations in Columbus, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Detroit.

At the time of his death, his family did not reveal circumstances surrounding the incident but released a statement acknowledging his impact on the communities he served through his journalism and philanthropy.

“Chauncy’s compassion and dedication to helping others, especially through the Chauncy Glover Project, changed countless lives and inspired so many young men to pursue their dreams,” the family said at the time. “His talent, warmth and vision left an imprint on everyone who knew him, and the world is dimmer without him.”

Glover founded the Houston-based Chauncy Glover Project, a hands-on mentoring program, to “encourage and empower young men to be strong, confident and moral leaders of society.”

A statement from CBS Stations at the time described Glover as “a bright light” and said thoughts were with his family.

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Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.

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Review | The Way We Talk: Chung Suet-ying shines as a deaf woman finding herself

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Review | The Way We Talk: Chung Suet-ying shines as a deaf woman finding herself

4.5/5 stars

In his six films to date, Hong Kong writer-director Adam Wong Sau-ping has repeatedly revealed a soft spot for protagonists who are trying to understand themselves and find their place in the world.

It was evident from a teenage boy’s discovery of his sexuality in Wong’s debut When Beckham Met Owen; the street-dancing dreams of university students in his breakout hit The Way We Dance; and the struggles of performing artists in navigating Hong Kong’s urban spaces in The Way We Keep Dancing.

But none of those come close to matching the immersive sense of soul-searching he evokes in The Way We Talk, his latest feature. This deeply humane drama about a trio of young deaf people is Wong’s best film yet by some distance.

Stepping into a big debate in deaf culture – the choice between using cochlear implants (surgically implanted electronic devices that improve hearing) or sign language – the film offers an articulate account of a deaf woman’s confusion amid advocation from both sides.

Chung Suet-ying, who was named best actress at the 2024 Golden Horse Awards in Taipei for her part, plays Sophie, a university graduate in actuarial science and the face of an awareness campaign for cochlear implants (CI), for which her mother (Yam Yuen Yee-man) signed her up shortly after she lost her hearing as a toddler.
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Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's L.A. home is ransacked

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Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's L.A. home is ransacked

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s residence inside a gated community near Beverly Hills was burglarized Friday night, law enforcement sources told The Times on Tuesday.

The Australian actress and the country music star are the latest A-list celebrities to be victims of thieves. Sources say these burglaries are less about targeting owners because of their superstardom and more about targeting the high-end items likely to be found in their luxurious homes.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told The Times that officers responded to a burglary report at 8 p.m. Friday on Lime Orchard Road. Officers learned from a security guard that a burglar had smashed the glass door of the residence, ransacked the home and fled, the spokesperson said.

The couple were not home at the time. It is unknown whether any items were taken.

Lime Orchard Road is within the Hidden Valley gated community of Los Angeles in the exclusive Beverly Hills post office neighborhood where Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lawrence, Adele and Katy Perry have all purchased homes, in addition to Kidman and Urban, according to the New York Post.

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The Times reported that Kidman and Urban bought their home for $4.7 million in 2008. The 4,100-square-foot, five-bedroom home was built in 1965 and sits on a 1¼-acre lot. The property’s large windows have views of the canyons.

Theirs is one of several celebrity properties that have been burglarized in Los Angeles and across the country recently, several of which are believed to be connected to South American organized-theft rings.

Earlier this month, the West Los Angeles home of LAFC striker Olivier Giroud was similarly targeted. On Feb. 5, the LAPD responded to a report of a smashed window and home burglary at the French soccer player’s residence.

Law enforcement sources said $500,000 worth of items were taken from the home, including pricey watches.

Giroud, who was a member of the French national team that won the 2018 World Cup, moved to Los Angeles last year after signing with LAFC.

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It is unclear whether the break-ins at Giroud’s home and Kidman and Urban’s residence are connected to organized theft groups.

In December, the FBI said that organized theft groups from South America were believed to be behind burglaries at the homes of at least nine professional athletes between September and November 2024.

The FBI issued a warning to sports leagues noting that crime groups were targeting athletes’ homes in pursuit of cash and valuables including watches, designer handbags and jewelry. Some of the biggest names in American sports — including Patrick Mahomes, Luka Dončić and Travis Kelce — have been victims of these break-ins.

In January, the Beverly Hills Police Department and Glendale Police Department worked together to arrest five suspects believed to be part of a criminal ring responsible for a string of residential burglaries.

While conducting search warrants at the suspects’ residences, detectives retrieved stolen firearms, jewelry, watches, luxury handbags, designer clothing and other luxury items belonging to the victims, police said.

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Detectives have linked this criminal ring to residential burglaries in Beverly Hills, Glendale, San Marino, Los Angeles, Burbank, Pleasanton, Bakersfield, Ventura County, Orange County and San Mateo County.

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