After a year 2021 again marked by the health crisis, and two editions tarnished by scandals and flops, the Académie des César has no room for error.

She entrusted the keys to an old veteran of the exercise of master of ceremonies, Antoine de Caunes, who will go on stage at 9:00 p.m. at the Olympia, for a 47th Cesar evening once again broadcast unencrypted on Canal +.

On the program, glitter, with the César d'honneur awarded to Australian actress Cate Blanchett by Isabelle Huppert, the memory of the disappeared, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Gaspard Ulliel in the lead, and of course the prize list, for which the film " Lost Illusions", acid fresco on the press and its excesses, is a favorite.

With 15 nominations including best film and best director, Xavier Giannoli's film is in the lead to succeed "Adieu les Cons" by Albert Dupontel, who triumphed last year with seven statuettes.

Behind the adaptation of the great Balzacian novel, the members of the Academy placed the rock opera "Annette" by Leos Carax (11 nominations), presented at the Cannes Film Festival.

The American star Adam Driver will make the trip, announced Canal +: the actor is in the running for the César for best actor for this film, alongside in his category Benoît Magimel, Vincent Macaigne or Pierre Niney.

To complete this top three, "Aline", Valérie Lemercier's biopic dedicated to Céline Dion, in which this big fan of the Quebec star gives the best of herself, won ten nominations, including logically the best actress, alongside Léa Seydoux or Laure Calamy, again named after winning the title last year.

Antoine de Caunes, master of ceremonies for the 47th César evening, during rehearsals at the Olympia, on February 22, 2022 in Paris JOEL SAGET AFP

In the queen category of "best film", in addition to the three opuses placed at the top, the members of the Academy also put on the ranks "BAC Nord" by Cédric Jimenez, on the excesses of the police in the northern districts of Marseille, " The event" by Audrey Diwan, adaptation of a novel by Annie Ernaux on abortion which won the Golden Lion in Venice, "La Fracture" by Catherine Corsini on France's "yellow vests" as well as "Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle" by Arthur Harari.

Disenchantment

Renewed to respond to accusations of opacity, inter-self and machismo, will the Academy of Caesar seize the opportunity to show that it has changed?

Only one filmmaker has received the César for best director so far: Tonie Marshall in 2000 for "Vénus Beauté (institut)".

Three are nominated this year (Valérie Lemercier, Audrey Diwan and Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for "Titane") for four men.

César 2022 Cléa PÉCULIER AFP

For all these films, Cesars could serve as a consolation prize after a year in which French cinema was able to shine at festivals but suffered in theaters due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Antoine de Caunes and director Danièle Thompson, president of the ceremony, will also work to restore the image of this gala evening, inspired by the American Oscars, but whose star has largely faded.

In 2020, at the height of an internal crisis, Roman Polanski, accused of rape, was crowned best director for "J'accuse", causing the departure of actress Adèle Haenel from the ceremony.

The image has become one of the symbols of the fight against sexual violence and for equality in the cinema world.

And despite a profound renewal, last year's ceremony, marked by a pro-intermittent happening of the show of actress Corinne Masiero naked on stage, flopped the audience (1.6 million spectators).

And aroused a torrent of criticism deploring the navel-gazing of the world of cinema in the midst of a pandemic.

© 2022 AFP