Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” is an Oscar contender unlike any other. It’s a musical, a trans parable, and a Mexico-set melodrama.

"Emilia Pérez" has faced controversy and criticism for various reasons. Among the most prominent is its portrayal of Mexico. The movie’s director, Jacques Audiard, is French, and none of its three lead cast members are of Mexican descent. Only one member of the core cast, Adriana Paz, is from Mexico.

Lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón has come under fire for old social media posts, the latest of several controversies facing Jacques Audiard’s movie

The film stars Zoe Saldana as Rita, a lawyer forcibly recruited by a crime boss, Manitas, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who wants to undergo gender-confirming surgery to become a woman. She emerges as Emilia Pérez, but will not give up a connection to her wife, Jessi, played by Selena Gomez, and her children.

Between widespread criticism of the film itself and resurfaced tweets from its lead star, the Oscars front-runner has been marred by tons of controversy.