“Lost Illusions” leads the way for the 47th Césars

© Bertrand GUAY/POOL/AFP/Archives

A lively adaptation of Balzac's great novel, an acidic fresco on the press and its excesses, the film “Lost Illusions” is a favorite for the 2022 Césars, which will have to restore the image of this institution and make people forget the pandemic.

The nominations for the most prestigious prizes in French cinema were announced on Wednesday, this film by Xavier Giannoli taking the lead with 15 nominations including best film and best direction.

Its main actor, Benjamin Voisin, discovered in “Summer 85”, is nominated in the “best male hopeful” category, where he already competed last year.

D here at the ceremony on February 25, the race remains open to succeed “Adieu les Cons” by Albert Dupontel, which triumphed last year with seven statuettes.

Behind the adaptation of the great Balzacian novel on the emergence of the press, both classic and very contemporary in the themes it addresses, the members of the Academy placed the rock opera “Annette” by Leos Carax (11 nominations), presented at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film earned a nomination as best actor for American star Adam Driver, who rubs shoulders with Benoît Magimel in his category , Vincent Macaigne or Pierre Niney, but not to its main actress, Marion Cotillard.

– Three female directors –

To complete this leading trio, “Aline”, the biopic by Valérie Lemercier dedicated to Céline Dion, in which this big fan of the Quebec star gives the best of herself, landing ten nominations, including logically best actress, alongside Léa Seydoux or Laure Calamy, nominated again after winning the title last year.< /p>

In the queen category of “best film”, in addition to the three films placed at the top, the members of the Academy also voted for “BAC Nord” by Cédric Jimenez, on police abuses 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 the France of “Yellow Vests” as well as “Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” by Arthur Harari.

Renewed to respond to accusations of opacity, indifference and machismo, the Académie des César will seize does she have the opportunity to show that she has changed ?

Only one filmmaker has so far received the César for best director: 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 (Leos Carax, Cédric Jimenez, Xavier Giannoli and Arthur Harari).< /p>

For all these films, Césars could act as a consolation prize after a year where French cinema was able to shine at festivals but suffered in theaters, due to the pandemic and of the closure of cinemas until May.

– Désamour –

Beyond the films, the 47th official ceremony should make us forget the disasters of previous editions.

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 industry.

Despite a profound renewal, the ceremony last year, marked by a pro-intermittent happening of the show of the actress Corinne Masiero naked on stage, was an audience flop (1.6 million spectators). And sparked a torrent of criticism deploring the navel-gazing of the world of cinema in the midst of a pandemic.

This year, the organizers have focused on sure values, with Antoine de Caunes, a regular at the exercise, as master of ceremonies and the screenwriter and director Danièle Thompson as president.

But they will have a lot to do as the disenchantment with major ceremonies seems to be growing, like the Golden Globes, ousted from American TV. A fate from which the Césars escape: Canal+, which from this year cedes its place at the Cannes Festival to Brut and France Télévisions, has renewed its partnership with the Academy until 2025.

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