César Winners: Cate Blanchett, 'Annette', and 'Lost Illusions'

by Nathaniel R

Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert backstage at the Césars (that's Ronald Chammah, Isabelle's man, between them)

France's top awards, the Césars, were held last night. The historical costume drama Lost Illusions which had led the nominations took home the most prizes including Best Film. But all was not lost for its competition since all but one of them won at least one César. The thorny musical tragedy Annette was the runner up in terms of wins even repeating the Best Director win at Cannes for Leos Carax. And of course Cate Blanchett took the Honorary César and was introduced by Isabelle Huppert herself.

The winners and comments and a few videos from the show are after the jump. (If we've written about the film, it's linked up)...

Best Film

• ★ Lost Illusions
• Annette
• Aline
• Happening
• Bac Nord
• The Divide/ La Fracture
• Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle

Annette  is available to stream on Amazon. Happening is in theaters on May 6th from IFC Films. The others have no US release dates as of yet. Bac Nord, a police drama, was the only Best Film nominee to go home without a single César.

Best Director 

• Valérie Lemercier, Aline
• ★ Leos Carax, Annette
• Cédric Jiminez, Bac Nord
• Audrey Diwan, Happening
• Xavier Giannoli, Lost Illusions
• Arthur Harari, Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
• Julia Ducournau, Titane

Carax repeats his Cannes win and finally wins a César. This was his 7th nomination though only his 2nd in this category. His first nomination was Boy Meets Girl, way back in 1984, which was up for Best First Film.

Best Actress

Valérie Lemercier remporte le #César2022 de la meilleure actrice ✨
(on va quand même vérifier que le César ne se retrouve pas aux enchères, hein) pic.twitter.com/5QY0xyYpSv

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

• Leila Bekhti (4 noms | 1 win) The Restless
• Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (6 noms | 1 win) The Divide/ La Fracture
• Laure Calamy (4 noms | 1 win) Une femme du monde
• Virginie Efira (5 noms)  Benedetta
• Vicky Krieps (1st nomination) Hold Me Tight
• ★ Valerie Lemercier (8 noms | 3rd win) Aline
• Léa Seydoux (5 noms) France

LeMercier won her 3rd acting prize by directing herself in this loose biopic about Celine Dion.

Best Actor

"J'ai 47 ans, c'est la 47e Cérémonie, c'est peut-être un signe"

Benoît Magimel, César du Meilleur Acteur pour "De Son Vivant" #César2022 pic.twitter.com/mWh32eJeyS

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

• Damien Bonnard (4 noms) The Restless
• Adam Driver (1st nomination) Annette
• Gilles Lellouche (8 noms) Bac Nord
• Vincent Macaigne (5 noms) Medecin de nuit
• ★ Benoît Magimel (4 noms | 2nd win) Peaceful/De Son Vivant
• Pio Marmai (4 noms)  The Divide/ La Fracture
• Pierre Niney (5 noms | 1 win) Boite noire

Though in the rare cases when American actors are nominated for Césars they usually win (Adrien Brody, Kristen Stewart)  Adam Driver lost for his Annette nomination.  Magimel recently won the Lumière playing a man with a terminal illness and repeats that win here. 

Best Supporting Actress 

Aissatou Diallo Sagna remporte le #César2022 de la meilleure actrice dans un second rôle 👏 pic.twitter.com/vbleYc5Rhy

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

• Jeanne Balibar, Lost Illusions
• Celine de France, Lost Illusions
• ★ Aissatou Diallo Sagna, The Divide/ La Fracture
• Adele Exarchopoulos, Mandibules
• Danielle Fichaud, Aline

The Fracture won the Queer Palm at Cannes but sadly we have yet to hear about any US release.

Best Supporting Actor

C'est l'émotion du #César2022 du meilleur acteur dans un second rôle qui met Vincent Lacoste dans cet état ou... 😂 pic.twitter.com/hKlQtO5wrt

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

• Francois Civil (1st nomination), Bac Nord
• Xavier Dolan (1st nomination), Lost Illusions
• ★ Vincent Lacoste (5 noms, 1st win), Lost Illusions
• Karin Leklou (2 noms), Bac Nord
• Sylvain Marcel (1st nom), Aline

Lacoste finally wins on his fifth nomination.

Best First Film

• Gagarine, Fanny Liatard, Jeremy Trouilh
• ★ Magnetic Beats, Vincent Mael Cardona
• La Nuee, Just Philippot
• The Velvet Queen, Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier
• Slalom, Charlene Favier

Best Foreign Film

• Compartment no. 6 (Finland)
• Drive My Car (Japan)
• First Cow (US)
• The Worst Person in the World, (Norway)
• Parallel Mothers (Spain)
• ★  The Father (UK)

The Father continues its amazing awards run, beating newer sensations like Drive My Car and Worst Person...

Best Female Newcomer 

• Noée Abita, Slalom
• Salomé Dewaels, Lost Illusions
• Agathe Rousselle, Titane
• ★ Anamaria Vartolomei, Happening
• Lucie Zhang, Paris, 13th District

We've already shared with you how great Happening is (click for the review on the title). The abortion drama, which won the Golden Lion at Venice, is due in the US on May 6th from IFC Films. 

Best Male Newcomer

Benjamin Voisin reçoit le #Cesar2022 du Meilleur Espoir Masculin pour Illusions perdues ! ✨ #Cesar2022 pic.twitter.com/N3R0KMpvkX

— CANAL+ Cinéma (@CanalplusCinema) February 25, 2022

• Sandor Funtek, Supremes
• Sami Outalbali, Une Histoire D’Amour Et De Désir
• Thimotée Robart, Magnetic Beats
• Makita Samba, Paris, 13th District
• ★ Benjamin Voisin, Lost Illusions

Apparently César doesn't have strict rules on eligibility for this category. Voisin was up for this "Newcomer" prize just last year (for Summer 85) and lost. This time he is still 'New' but won.

Best Original Screenplay

• Aline
• Annette
• Boite Noire
• The Divide/ La Fracture
• ★ Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle 

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Les choses humaines
• Happening
• ★ Lost Illusions
• Paris, 13th District
• Hold Me Tight

Best Animated Film

• Even Mice Belong in Heaven
• ★ The Summit of Gods
• La traversée 

The Summit of Gods is currently streaming on Netflix. It's quite good. A contemplative mountain climbing drama.

Best Documentary 

• Animal
• Bigger Than Us
• Debout les femmes!
• Indes Galantes
• ★ The Velvet Queen

The Velvet Queen, about snow leopards, which had a recent US release also won the Lumière and placed 13th on Glenn Dunks list of the 25 Best Documentaries of 2021.

Best Cinematography 

• Annette
• ★ Lost Illusions
• Paris, 13th District
• Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
• Titane 

Best Original Score

• ★ Annette
• Bac Nord
• Boite Noire
• Paris, 13th District
• The Velvet Queen

Best Sound 

• Aline
• ★ Annette
• Boite Noire
• Lost Illusions
• Magnetic Beats

Best Editing

• ★ Annette
• Bac Nord
• The Divide/ La Fracture
• Lost Illusions

Best Costumes 

• Aline
• Annette
• Delicieux
• Eiffel
• ★ Lost Illusions

Best Set Design

• Aline
• Annette
• Delicieux
• Eiffel
• ★ Lost Illusions

Best Visuel Effects 

• Aline
• ★ Annette
• Eiffel
• Lost Illusions
• Titane

So basically Annette won the blockbuster-type awards (in Oscar context we mean, with visual effects and sound and editing) while Lost Illusion took all the Moulin Rouge style eye-candy awards.

In addition to the regular prizes there were also a tribute to Gaspard Ulliel (who recently passed away) by Xavier Dolan, and Cate Blanchett was honored with the Honorary César. 

Merci Xavier Dolan pour cet hommage à Gaspard Ulliel 🤍 #César2022 pic.twitter.com/XxsK3FFlaW

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

Ce duo...

Le vibrant hommage d'Isabelle Huppert à Cate Blanchett, César d'Honneur ce soir #César2022 pic.twitter.com/wCWCJ4u9ee

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

Quelle émotion 🥺

Les larmes de Cate Blanchett, très très émue sur la scène des #César2022 pic.twitter.com/rF6IFd5NXH

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) February 25, 2022

Isabelle Huppert saying she can't imagine anyone else to present the César to Cate Blanchett. Love their friendship! pic.twitter.com/LPbnPN4KWF

— ℳari (@cakeblanchett_) February 26, 2022

Comments

[Score and Cinematography]

lovely clips.

Where can I see this Lost Illusions motion picture ?

[Kate]

Even though Blanchett received an honorary (and the customary standing ovation), an uninformed observer who watched that telecast could be forgiven for thinking that Adam Driver is like 5X the star than she is there. So many random shoutouts.

[Kate]

...

[NATHANIEL R]

Score -- Music Box Films has US distribution rights but as far as I know they haven't announced anything yet.

[thevoid99]

I'm just happy that Leos Carax and Sparks won something for a change.

[seoupdate seoupdate]

wow very good

[Peggy Sue]

What an amazing year for French cinema.

[Fadhil]

Honorary Cesar AND Goya in the same year for Cate? Legend behavior.

[Peggy Sue]

The discourtesy of les Goyas trying to steal the moment by awarding her first. Crass behaviour.