Paris (AFP)
A sentimental comedy, an initiatory romance and absurd humor: the films of directors Emmanuel Mouret, François Ozon and Albert Dupontel form the top trio of the César nominations, in an attempt to turn the page of a year of cinema amputated by the pandemic.
Emmanuel Mouret is leading the way, with his new exploration of romantic feelings "The things we say, the things we do", which has collected 13 nominations and has already been awarded by the foreign press in France.
The tenth feature film from the Marseillais is a hair ahead of the gay romance "Summer 85" by François Ozon, often nominated but never awarded, and the comedy "Adieu les Cons" by Albert Dupontel, specialist in stripping humor (12 nominations each).
After a year unlike any other, marked by months of cinemas closed due to a pandemic, the 4,292 voting members of the Academy had to make their choice from among 125 eligible films, which nevertheless managed to come out.
Just over half of them (54.9%) voted.
In addition to the three leading feature films, two other works are nominated in the queen category of "best film", to succeed Ladj Ly's "Miserables": the comedy "Antoinette in the Cévennes" by Caroline Vignal and the documentary "Adolescentes "by Sébastien Lifshitz, already winner of the Louis-Delluc Prize.
- No parity -
These appointments are the first since the deep crisis that shook the Academy of Caesar last year.
Accused of opacity and of itself, the institution has been profoundly renewed, under the aegis of a whole new management, entrusted to Véronique Cayla.
But at the end of the votes of this preliminary round, parity remains a very distant horizon in the nominations: only one woman is nominated in the queen category of "best film", Caroline Vignal for "Antoinette in the Cévennes", just like for the "best achievement" (Maïwenn for her film "ADN").
It is in this last category that was distinguished in 2020 Roman Polanski for "J'accuse", on the Dreyfus affair.
Actress Adèle Haenel left the ceremony with a crash, denouncing the coronation of a filmmaker who faces rape accusations dating back several decades.
As for diversity, especially ethnic diversity, another hot topic, it only appears at homeopathic dose in these nominations, even if the film "Simply Black", a surprise success of the summer of 2020, is in the running for the Caesar. for best first film and for best male hope.
- Resilience -
As for the "best actress" and "best actor" categories, several rising stars stand out, such as Camélia Jordana and Niels Schneider for Emmanuel Mouret's film or Laure Calamy for "Antoinette".
The acting performances of Virginie Efira and Albert Dupontel in "Adieu les Cons" or Lambert Wilson for "De Gaulle" also earned them a nomination.
Accustomed to the Caesar, Isabelle Huppert, yet noticed in "La Daronne", did not receive the favors of voters this year.
The members of the Académie des César now have until March 12 to designate the winners of the most prestigious French cinema prizes.
The ceremony, broadcast in clear on Canal +, will then take place at the Olympia, the same evening, under the chairmanship of Roschdy Zem, with Marina Foïs as mistress of ceremonies, Laurent Lafitte and Blanche Gardin writing the sketches.
Should we maintain this traditional meeting, while the 7th art is on its knees, with no prospect of the cinemas reopening soon?
"In the event, it is essential to assert our presence, to show and support the resilience of cinema. This ceremony must be a strong signal, a marker of talent, especially of the younger generations", replied the new co-presidents of the Cesars, Véronique Cayla and the filmmaker Éric Toledano.
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