"Elle" Wins the César

Huppert's trophy haul from ELLE is getting crazy!This post title was originally "Elle triumphs" but that would be too emphatic a statement. Paul Verhoeven's provocative black comedy about an infamous woman who reacts strangely to a rape did win the top category, oui. But Isabelle Huppert's awards magnet fascinating star turn was its only other win in Best Actress. For the 42nd annual Césars, then, it was a spread the wealth year. Xavier Dolan's all star ensemble It's Only the End of the World, the debut feature Divines, and the acclaimed toon My Life as a Zucchini also won multiple prizes.

The winners and George Clooney's Honorary César acceptance speech are after the jump...

Best Film
DIVINES (on Netflix)
★ ELLE (now playing)
FRANTZ (opening in US in March)
LES INNOCENTES (available on blu-ray)
MA LOUTE
FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON
VICTORIA 

Best Actress
JUDITH CHEMLA dans A WOMAN'S LIFE
MARION COTILLARD dans FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON
VIRGINIE EFIRA dans VICTORIA 
MARINA FOÏS dans IRRÉPROCHABLE
★ ISABELLE HUPPERTdans ELLE 
SIDSE BABETT KNUDSEN dans LA FILLE DE 
BREST SOKO dans LA DANSEUSE 

As previously noted Isabelle Huppert is the all-time most nominated actress at the Césars. This is her 16th nomination but only her second win.

George Clooney reçoit le César d'honneur, et il... by CinemaCanalPlus

Honorary César
The César usually chooses on Hollywood star to honor and this year it was George Clooney who gave this lengthy politically-minded speech with fellow Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) translating.

Best Actor 
FRANÇOIS CLUZET dans MÉDECIN DE CAMPAGNE 
PIERRE DELADONCHAMPS dans LE FILS DE JEAN 
NICOLAS DUVAUCHELLE dans A DECENT MAN
FABRICE LUCHINI dans MA LOUTE 
PIERRE NINEY dans FRANTZ 
OMAR SY dans CHOCOLAT 
★ GASPARD ULLIEL dans IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD

Most Promising Female
★ OULAYA AMAMRA dans DIVINES
PAULA BEER dans FRANTZ
LILY-ROSE DEPP dans LA DANSEUSE
NOÉMIE MERLANT dans LE CIEL ATTENDRA
RAPH dans MA LOUTE

Most Promising Male
JONAS BLOQUET dans ELLE
DAMIEN BONNARD dans STAYING VERTICAL 
CORENTIN FILA dans BEING 17
KACEY MOTTET KLEIN dans BEING 17
★ NIELS SCHNEIDER dans DIAMANT NOIR

Supporting Actress
NATHALIE BAYE dans IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD
VALERIA BRUNI TEDESCHI dans MA LOUTE
ANNE CONSIGNY dans ELLE
★ DÉBORAH LUKUMUENA dans DIVINES
MÉLANIE THIERRY dans LA DANSEUSE

Omar Sy (left) and James Thierrée (right) in Chocolat, which is about the first black circus clown in 19th century France

Supporting Actor
GABRIEL ARCAND dans LE FILS DE JEAN
VINCENT CASSEL dans IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD
VINCENT LACOSTE dans VICTORIA
LAURENT LAFITTE dans ELLE
MELVIL POUPAUD dans VICTORIA
★ JAMES THIERRÉE dans CHOCOLAT

Aquatic Effect is a romantic comedy about a man pretending he doesn't know how to swim to get swimming lessons from the woman he's after

Original Screenplay 
DIVINES
★ THE AQUATIC EFFECT 
LES INNOCENTES
MA LOUTE
VICTORIA  

Adapted Screenplay
ELLE
LA FILLE DE BREST
FRANTZ
★ MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON
RÉPARER LES VIVANTS

Original Score
CHOCOLAT
★ DANS LES FORÊTS DE SIBÉRIE
ELLE
FRANTZ
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI

Best Costume Design
★ LA DANSEUSE
FRANTZ
MA LOUTE
FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON
A WOMAN'S LIFE

Set Decorations
★ CHOCOLAT
LA DANSEUSE
FRANTZ
MA LOUTE
PLANETARIUM

A well deserved cinematography award for François Ozon's elegantly lensed Frantz. It opens next month in the US

Cinematography
ELLE
★ FRANTZ
LES INNOCENTES
MA LOUTE
FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON

Editing
DIVINES
ELLE
FRANTZ
★ IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD
FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON

Sound
CHOCOLAT
ELLE
FRANTZ
MAL DE PIERRES
★ L’ODYSSÉE

French Canadian auteur Xavier Dolan wins his second César. He previously won "Best Foreign Film" for Mommy (2014)

Best Director
HOUDA BENYAMINA pour DIVINES
PAUL VERHOEVEN pour ELLE
FRANÇOIS OZON pour FRANTZ
ANNE FONTAINE pour LES INNOCENTES
★ XAVIER DOLAN pour IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD
BRUNO DUMONT pour MA LOUTE
NICOLE GARCIA pour FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON

Short Film
APRÈS SUZANNE
DES CLOCHETTES
CHASSE ROYALE
★ MAMAN(S)
VERS LA TENDRESSE

Animated Short
CAFÉ FROID
★ CELUI QUI A DEUX ÂMES
JOURNAL ANIMÉ
PERIPHERIA

My Life as a Zucchini just opened this weekend in the US. Go see it!

Animated Feature
THE GIRL WITHOUT HANDS
★ MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
THE RED TURTLE

Best First Film
CIGARETTES ET CHOCOLAT CHAUD
LA DANSEUSE
DIAMANT NOIR
★ DIVINES
ROSALIE BLUM

Documentary Feature 
DERNIÈRES NOUVELLES DU COSMOS
FIRE AT SEA
★ MERCI PATRON
SWAGGER
VOYAGE À TRAVERS LE CINÉMA FRANÇAIS

Foreign Film
AQUARIUS (Brazil)
GRADUATION (Romania)
THE UNKNOWN GIRL (Belgium)
IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD (Canada)
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (US)
★ I, DANIEL BLAKE (UK)
TONI ERDMANN (Germany)

Despite the initial disappointment that seemed to accompany Cannes news this past summer about I, Daniel Blake taking the Palme D'Or it's continued to do well with awards groups, and beat Toni Erdmann yet again as it had at Cannes.

Comments

[Leduffpascal]

Vers la tendresse ties for short film. Both directors are Black and female and One of them said "was that on purpoose" jokingly. Weird rule allowed for Dolan to win Best director Over Verhoeven. There was a new rule that forbids the récipient of Best film to win also Best director. Which is weird especially voters were not granted a second vote for Best director. Meaning Verhoeven May have Something like a few Hundred votes more than Dolan. Does not make any sense

[Jordan]

I'm now more itching to see It's Only the End of the World. Seems like a "love it or hate it" type of film.

[markgordon]

Maybe just maybe she can give us a real Best Actress Oscar Winner.

[MDA]

No Oscar thread this year??

[Claran]

Stupid rule!!! Verhoeven was robbed!!! Unjustly!!

Elle shld've picked up best adapted screenplay too!!

On a happy note. Hooray for Queen Isabelle!!