The Académie des César publishes Wednesday morning the list of those who will compete during the 48th ceremony.
It’s not just Hollywood where awards season is in full swing. French cinema is also in battle order. Wednesday morning will be revealed the list of feature films and talents who will be eligible for a César, during the ceremony on February 24. Like last year, the reunion of the big family of the seventh art will not be cloudless between attendance figures still at half mast three years after the pandemic and questions of sexual violence on the sets.
Who to succeed lost illusions , the big winner of last year with seven trophies, including that of the best film? The games seem very open between the feature films dubbed by the public and those acclaimed by the critics who have been full of prizes in the precursor ceremonies.
The hopes ofIn Body and of The Innocent
In the first category is the director Cédric Klapisch. The filmmaker of L‘Spanish hotel attracted with In Body 1.3 million curious. The story of a classical dancer (played by Marion Barbeau of the Paris Opera) who rebuilds after an injury has won unanimous acclaim. Just like Louis Garrel, with The Innocenta joyful police comedy of robbery which he shares with Noémie Merlant.
Read alsoThe best quotes from Cédric Klapisch
Another very noticed director this year: Dominik Moll and his Night of 12 , presented at Cannes. The author of Harry, a friend who wishes you well (César for best director in 2001) could return to the front of the stage with this investigation into a feminicide which says as much about crime as about machismo in the police. His drama was full of trophies at the Lumières prize, awarded by the international press.
The other big winner of this evening of Lights was Pacification torment on the islands by Albert Serra in which Benoît Magimel portrays a High Commissioner of the Republic in Tahiti. This strange Polynesian trip had already won the Louis-Delluc 2022 prize at the end of November, nicknamed the “Goncourt of cinema”, tied with Saint Omer.
Awarded at the Venice Film Festival, the first feature film by documentary filmmaker Alice Diop should also be full of nominations. Worn by Kayije Kagame and Guslagie Malanda, Saint Omer returns to the infanticide of Berck-sur-mer. In 2013, a mother left her baby girl on the beach at high tide. The child had drowned. The courtroom film was chosen by the CNC to represent France at the Oscars, which will announce their nominations tomorrow, Tuesday January 24.
Double nomination for Virginie Efira?
On the performer side, will the Académie des César acclaim as much as the public Elsa Zylberstein and her metamorphosis into Simone Veil thanks to heavy makeup and prostheses, in the biopic Simone, the trip of the century by Olivier Dahan. Biggest French success at the box office with 2.4 million spectators, this very melodic portrait received a reserved reception from the press. Elsa Zylberstein will have to face Virginie Efira above all. Regularly in the running in recent years, the Belgian actress is a serious competitor and can dream of a double nomination with her performances as a mother-in-law devoured by the desire for motherhood in Other people’s children and survivor of an attack in See Paris again.
In a less psychological genre, the performers of November by Cédric Jimenez, story of the hunt for Bataclan terrorists, with Jean Dujardin, Sandrine Kiberlain or Anaïs Demoustier, also have their chances. Just like Roschdy Zem (Mine, The Innocent, Other People’s Children).
The Sofiane Bennacer case
The part looks much more delicate on the other hand for The Almond Trees by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi in which she looked back on her years of theatrical apprenticeship alongside Patrice Chéreau. The release of the film was accompanied by revelations about the indictments for rape of its main actor, and companion of the director, Sofiane Bennacer.
Having begun a profound renewal, the Academy, which has been seeking for several years to put an end to the accusations of inter-self and complacency in relation to the perpetrators of sexual violence, will it take the risk of naming the film. Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi admitted to knowing about these accusations during filming.
In theory, nothing prevents Sofiane Bennacer, any more than Gérard Depardieu or Ary Abittan, also indicted for rapes which they contest, from being named, even if Sofiane Bennacer has been removed from the indicative list of “hopes “. In this improbable hypothesis, the Academy has already announced a cordon sanitaire: no person implicated “by justice for acts of violence” will be “highlighted” during the ceremony. And no speaking will be allowed, even if the person ultimately receives a Caesar.
On the glitter side, the evening, which must absolutely go up the slope after still disastrous audiences last year (1.3 million viewers), will be chaired by Tahar Rahim, whose career now oscillates between Hollywood and France. The presentation will be collegial with nine masters and mistresses of ceremonies on the stage of the Olympia from Emmanuelle Devos to Eye Haïdara, via Alex Lutz and Ahmed Sylla. The Honorary Cesar will be awarded to the master of thrillers Gone Girl and Se7enthe American director David Fincher.
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