Xavier Giannoli’s sprawling period piece “Lost Illusions,” Valerie Lemercier’s Celine Dion biopic “Aline” and Leos Carax’s musical romance “Annette” with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver are leading the race at France’s 47th Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars.
Other top Cesar contenders include Cedric Jimenez’s action-packed cop drama “Bac Nord,” Catherine Corsini’s social drama “La fracture,” Yann Gozlan’s thriller Boite noire,” Jacques Audiard‘s contemporary love drama “Paris, 13th District” and Arthur Harari’s WW2-set “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle.”
Audrey Diwan‘s Venice Golden Lion-winning “Happening” and Julia Ducournau‘s Cannes’ Palme d’Or-winning “Titane” earned four nods each.
Vying for 15 Cesar Awards, “Lost Illusions” is a big-budget adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s masterpiece starring Benjamin Voisin (“Summer of 85”), Cecile de France (“The Young Pope”), Vincent Lacoste (“Victoria”), Xavier Dolan and Jeanne Balibar (“Les Miserables”) all of whom earned nominations.
“Lost Illusions” revolves around Lucien de Rubempré (Voisin), a young and fiercely ambitious poet from a modest background who engages in a forbidden affair with the baroness Louise de Bargeton (de France) and finds himself alone and penniless in Paris, until he meets a young journalist who takes him under his wing. Music Box has North American rights.
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“Aline,” whose U.S. rights were acquired by Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films, is a musical comedy-drama loosely based on the life of Dion. Lemercier, who stars in the title role, was nominated along with French-Canadian actor Sylvain Marcel who plays her manager-turned-husband.
Aside from “Lost Illusions,””Happening” and “Boite Noire,” the movies which pulled the highest number of Cesar nominations world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Yet, the absence of “Titane” and its male lead, Vincent Lindon, in the best film and actor categories are surprise snubs. One of France’s most revered talents, Lindon won best actor at Cannes with his performance as a tormented father in “Titane.”
The biggest surprise of the 2022 roster is the nod to Driver, one of the rare American stars to have earned a Cesar nomination, following Kristen Stewart for Olivier Assayas’ “Clouds of Sils Maria” and Adrien Brody for Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning “The Pianist.” Both went on to win the award in 2015 and 2003, respectively. Driver’s co-star in “Annette,” Marion Cotillard, did not make it on the list, however.
“Annette,” which opened Cannes in 2021 and earned Carax a best director nod, is set in contemporary Los Angeles and stars Driver as Henry, a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humor who falls in love with Ann (Cotillard), a world-renowned opera singer. Under the spotlight, they form a passionate and glamorous couple. With the birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious little girl with an exceptional destiny, their lives are turned upside down.
Carax’s English-language debut, “Annette” took years to get made even though it was boarded by Amazon Studios (for U.S. rights) early on.
Nominations were unveiled online on Wednesday morning (Jan. 26), a month before the ceremony which is scheduled to take place as in-person event on Feb. 25 — although organizers suggested that they are considering changing the format due to the pandemic. As previously announced, Cate Blanchett will receive the honorary Cesar Award and French director and screenwriter Daniele Thompson will preside over the ceremony.
This year’s Cesar race is particularly crowded and nominations were difficult to predict due to the large number of movies whose releases were postponed from 2020 to 2021.
Here is the full list of nominations:
Best Film
“Aline,” Valerie Lemercier, produced by Edouard Weil, Alice Girard, Sidonie Dumas
“Annette,” Leos Carax, produced by Charles Gillibert
“Bac Nord,” Cedric Jimenez, produced by Hugo Selignac
“Happening,” Audrey Diwan, produced by Edouard Weil, Alice Girard
“La Fracture,” Catherine Corsini, produced by Elisabeth Perez
“Lost Illusions,” Xavier Giannoli, produced by Olivier Delbosc, Sidonie Dumas
“Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle,” Arthur Harari, produced by Nicolas Anthome, Lionel Guedj
Best Director
Valerie Lemercier, “Aline”
Leos Carax, “Annette”
Audrey Diwan, “Happening”
Xavier Giannoli, “Lost Illusions”
Arthur Harari, “Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle”
Julia Ducournau, “Titane”
Best Actress
Leila Bekhti, “The Restless”
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, “La fracture
Laure Calamy, “Une femme du monde
Virginie Efira, “Benedeta”
Vicky Krieps, “Serre moi fort”
Valerie Lemercier, “Aline”
Lea Seydoux, “France”
Best Actor
Damien Bonnard, “The Restless”
Adam Driver, “Annette”
Gilles Lellouche, “Bac Nord”
Vincent Macaigne, “Medecin de nuit”
Benoit Magimel, “Living”
Pio Marmai, “La fracture”
Pierre Niney, “Boite noire”
Best Cinematography
Caroline Champetier, “Annette”
Christophe Beaucarne, “Lost Illusions”
Paul Guilhaume, “Paris, 13th District”
Tom Harari, “Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle”
Ruben Impens, “Titane”
Best Supporting Actress
Jeanne Balibar, “Lost Illusions”
Celine de France, “Lost Illusions”
Aissatou Diallo Sagna, “La fracture
Adele Exarchopoulos, “Mandibules
Danielle Fichaud, “Aline”
Best Supporting Actor
Francois Civil, “Bac Nord”
Xavier Dolan, “Lost Illusions”
Vincent Lacoste, “Lost Illusions”
Karin Leklou, “Bac Nord”
Sylvain Marcel, “Aline”
Best Female Newcomer
Noee Abita, “Slalom”
Salome Dewaels, “Lost Illusions”
Agathe Rousselle, “Titane”
Anamaria Vartolomei, “Happening”
Lucie Zhang, “Paris, 13th District”
Best Male Newcomer
Sandor Funtek, “Supremes”
Sami Outalbadi, “Une histoire d’amour et de desir”
Thimothee Robart, “Magnetic Beats”
Matika Samba, “Paris, 13th District”
Benjamin Voisin, “Lost Illusions”
Best First Film
“Gagarine,” Fanny Liatard, Jeremy Trouilh
“Magnetic Beats,” Vincent Mael Cardona
“La Nuee,” Just Philippot
“La panthere des neiges,” Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier
“Slalom,” Charlene Favier
Best Foreign Film
“Compartment n. 6,” Juho Kuho Kuosmanen
“Drive My War,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi
“First Cow,” Kelly Reichardt
“The Worst Person in the World,” Joachim Trier
“Parallel Mothers,” Pedro Almodovar
“The Father,” Florian Zeller
Best Original Screenplay
Valerie Lemercier, Brigitte Buc, “Aline”
Leos Carax, Ron Mael, Russel Mael, “Annette”
Yann Gozlan, Simon Moutaïrou, Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard, “Boite Noire”
Catherine Corsini, Laurette Polmanss, Agnes Feuvre, “La fracture”
Arthur Harari, Vincent Poymiro, “Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle”
Best Adapted Screenplay
Yael Langmann, Yvan Attal, “Les choses humaines”
Audrey Diwan, Marcia Romano, “Happening”
Xavier Giannoli, Jacques Fieschi, “Lost Illusions”
Celine Sciamma, Lea Mysius, Jacques Audiard, “Paris, 13th District”
Mathieu Amalric, “Serre moi fort”
Best Animated Film
“Even Mice Belong in Heaven,” Denisa Grimmova, Jan Bubenicek
“The Summit of Gods,” Patrick Imbert
“La traversée,” Florence Miailhe
Best Documentary
“Animal,” Cyril Dion
“Bigger Than Us,” Flore Vasseur
“Debout les femmes!” Gilles Perret, Francois Ruffin
“Indes Galantes,” Philippe Beziat
“La panthere des neiges,” Marie Amiguet
Best Original Score
Ron Mael, Russell Mael, “Annette”
Guillaume Roussel, “Bac Nord
Philippe Rombi, “Boite Noire”
Rone, “Paris, 13th District”
Warren Ellis, Nick Cave, “La panthere des neiges”
Best Sound Editing
Olivier Mauvezin, Arnaud Rolland, Edouard Morin, Daniel Sobrino, “Aline
Erwan Kerzanet, Kaita Boutin, Mawence Dussere, Paul Haymans, Thomas Gauder, “Annette”
Nicolas Provost, Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard, Marc Doisne, “Boite Noire”
Francois Musy, Renaud Musy, Didier Lozahic, “Lost Illusions”
Mathieu Descamps, Pierre Bariaud, Samuel Aïchoun, “Magnetic Beats”
Best Editing
Nelly Quettier, “Annette”
Simon Jacquet, “Bac Nord”
Fredric Baillehaiche, La fracture”
Cyril Nakache, “Lost Illusions”
Best Costumes
Catherine Leterrier, “Aline”
Pascaline Chavanne, “Annette”
Madeline Fontaine, “Delicieux”
Thierry Deletre, “Eiffel”
Pierre-Jean Laroque, “Lost Illusions”
Best Set Design
Emmanuelle Duplay, “Aline”
Florian Sanson, “Annette”
Bertrand Seitz, “Delicieux”
Stephane Taillasson, “Eiffel”
Riton Dupire-Clement, “Lost Illusions”
Best Visuel Effects
Sebastien Rame, “Aline”
Guillaume Pondard, “Annette”
Sebastien Rame, “Aline”
Guillaume Pondard, “Annette”
Olivier Cauwet, “Eiffel”
Arnaud Fouquet, Julien Meesters, “Lost Illusions”
Martial Vallanchon, “Titane”
