Land movies lost illusions, adaptation of Balzac’s novel by Xavier Giannoli, is at the top of the nominations for the César 2022, which will be awarded on February 25.
With 15 nominations, including best film and best director, this film is in the lead, ahead of the rock opera Annette by Leos Carax (11 nominations, including best actor for American Adam Driver) and Aline (10 nominations), Valérie Lemercier’s biopic dedicated to Céline Dion, according to the list published Wednesday by the Académie des César.
Between now and the February 25 ceremony, the race remains open to succeed Goodbye idiots by Albert Dupontel, who triumphed last year with seven statuettes. Behind the adaptation of Balzac’s great novel on the emergence of the press, both classic and very contemporary in the themes it addresses, the members of the Academy have placed the rock opera Annette by Leos Carax, presented at the Cannes Film Festival.
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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, once more named following winning the title last year.Three women in search of the César for best director
In the queen category of best film, in addition to the three films placed at the top, the members of the Academy also acclaimed BAC North 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, The divide by Catherine Corsini on the France of the Yellow Vests, as well as Onoda, 10,000 nights in the jungle d’Arthur Harari.
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Renewed to respond to accusations of opacity, inter-self and machismo, will the Académie des César 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 Venus Beauty (institute). Three are nominated this year (Valérie Lemercier, Audrey Diwan and Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d’or at Cannes for Titanium) for four men (Leos Carax, Cédric Jimenez, Xavier Giannoli and Arthur Harari). For all these films, Caesars might serve as a consolation prize following a year in which French cinema was able to shine at festivals, but suffered in theaters, due to the pandemic and the closure of cinemas until May.