I never understood the backlash against this movie...
Controversy surrounding the film aside (which was A LOT and I didn't even keep up with it, but stuff like the director boasting he made zero research on Mexican culture and saying there's no Mexican acting talent), the film's narrative is a chaotic mess. It attempts to weave together a gritty crime thriller, a domestic drama, and a story of trans identity, but the result is a convoluted and tonally inconsistent experience. The plot feels disjointed, jumping from one idea to the next without giving any of them the weight they deserve.
Don't even get me started on the film's approach to its central themes and how deeply problematic and inaccurate the subjects were handed. It tries to tackle topics like trans identity and Mexican culture, yet it does so with a troubling lack of authenticity (which given what the director said, makes sense lol - all the Spanish has terrible pronunciation too). The portrayal of Mexico leans on regressive stereotypes, and the depiction of the trans experience feels superficial and tropey. The film seems to use these identities as a dramatic facade rather than engaging with them in a genuine way.
tl;dr it's Oscar-bait that focuses more on ticking all the right boxes for what should be a good and "progressive" film that critics will love than on actually making a good and "progressive" film.
And Oscar voters are so out of touch that they think it elevates some social messaging that they can pat themselves on the back for nominating. Obviously this doesn't just apply to Oscar voters, but just people in general that are unfamiliar with these topics. Like yeah, if you've never met a Mexican or a trans person, sure, you might think it was good because you have no point of reference, lol.
