The ambitious “Emilia Pérez” and its star-studded cast met with a fizzle at the box office and mounting criticisms that it was a not-so-faithful portrayal of Mexico that glamorizes the violence

“Emilia Pérez” — a captivating, heartbreaking and oftentimes bizarre tale of the consequences of cartel violence in Mexico — is a peculiar film. While the film’s characters are generally well-written, it botches its representation of cartel violence and the transgender community.

With the Academy Awards just weeks away, a “musical tribute” to the movie created by Mexican critics of the original is getting some attention. Titled “Johanne Sacreblue,” the Mexican-made French story has nearly 1.

The resulting film, a trans-narco-musical fever dream called “Emilia Pérez”, has earned 13 Oscar nominations. Since the Academy Awards began in 1929, only three films have received more. No other foreign-language film ever has.