César Nominations & Lumière Awards

by Nathaniel Rogers

NOUVELLE VAGUE

(I know I know we need to talk about the BAFTAs but I started this post first. Patience). We like to share the César nominations each year (i.e. the French Oscars) and as in most years there is at least a bit of Oscar crossover -- this year you see it in Best Screenplay, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Feature, and of course Best International Feature which tends to be the category with the most crossover at any country's own awards. Richard Linklater's delightful black-and-white retelling of the making of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, Nouvelle Vague, led the nominations. Their Oscar submission/nominee this year Jafar Panahi's It Was Just An Accident received just two nominations but it's in the top category.

To make this even more interesting we thought we'd compare it to the Lumière Awards which were already held and which I've heard called France's Golden Globes though I don't know about the accuracy of that. Their taste runs quite different this year as they loved François Ozon's The Stranger most which barely shows up at the Césars. Okay ready? Read on for Isabelle Huppert's latest, Jodie Foster's snub, and more...

CÉSAR Nominations	Lumiére Awards
BEST FILM	BEST FILM
Case 137 It Was Just An Accident The Little Sister Nouvelle Vague  The Ties That Bind Us (L'Attachement)	Case 137 The Great Arch Mektoub My Love Nouvelle Vague ★ The Stranger
BEST DIRECTOR	BEST DIRECTOR
Carine Tardieu, L'Attachement Dominik Moll, Case 137 Stéphane Demoustier, The Great Arch Hafsia Herzi, The Little Sister Richard Linklater, Nouvelle Vague	Dominik Moll, Case 137 Stéphane Demoustier, The Great Arch Abdellatif Kechiche, Mektoub My Love ★  Richard Linklater, Nouvelle Vague François Ozon, The Stranger

The chief difference here is of course The Stranger. The Lumieres loved it. The Césars not so much. We were planning to say that it should be considered a threat to be the French Oscar submission next season (since it opened in France after the eligibility cutoff for Oscar submissions) but then the Césars mostly snubbed it. An unexpected turn of events -- at least for this french-cinema-loving American. 

At any rate Ozon has a strange relationship with the Césars. He's been nominated intermittently but he has yet to win which is odd considering how enduring, acclaimed and internationally-recognized his career has been. France has only submitted him for the Oscars once (8 Women in 2002 for which he won the Lumière for Best Director) but he's had multiple international hits like Under the Sand (EFA & César nominations), Swimming Pool (EFA nod), and Potiche (BAFTA, César, and EFA nominations), and his films still regularly get distribution outside of France even if they aren't as popular internationally as they were in the 2000s and 2010s.

César Nominations	Lumière Awards
RICHEST WOMAN IN WORLD	CASE 137
BEST ACTRESS	BEST ACTRESS
Leíla Bekthi, Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, The Ties That Bind Us Léa Drucker, Case 137 Isabelle Huppert, Richest Woman in the World Mélanie Thierry, Mariana's Room	★ Léa Drucker, Case 137 Jodie Foster, A Private Life Isabelle Huppert,  Richest Woman in the World Vicki Krieps, Love Me Tender Melánie Thierry, Mariana's Room
BEST ACTOR	BEST ACTOR
Claes Bang, The Great Arch Bastien Bouillon, Leave One Day Laurence Lafitte, The Richest Woman in the World Pio Marmaï, The Ties That Bind Us Benjamin Voisin, The Stranger	Swann Arlaud, La Condition Claes Bang, The Great Arch Laurence Lafitte, The Richest Woman in the World Alex Manenti, The Mohican ★ Benjamin Voisin, The Stranger

A few similarities across the Lead Acting races but differences of opinion too. It's interesting that Jodie Foster shows up at the Lumière's for her under-appreciated but great star turn in A Private Life but does not show at the Césars. There aren't that many American icons that speak such fluent French and very occassionally work in French cinema that are also world-famous movie stars so it's strange that Jodie hasn't even been given an Honorary at the Cesars when so many of her peers have like Johnny Depp, Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Will Smith, Hugh Grant, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Scarlett Johansson, and Julia Roberts. I myself don't understand the muted reaction to her movie. I thought it was so interesting and fun and Foster is just great in it, a reminder of how captivating she can be when she's centered.

Swann Arlaud, best known to US audiences as the silver fox from Anatomy of a Fall, was nominated in Lead at the Lumieres but has to settle for a Supporting Actor nomination (for a different film) with César voters.

The lead categories are of course where we see familiar names like Denmark's Claes Bang and France's own Isabelle Huppert (who both work all over the world) -- the Lumieres are a little more international career friendly apparently because they also include Jodie Foster and very multilingual Luxembourgish actress Vicky Krieps (what can't she speak... seriously? Consider Corsage the excellent Austrian Oscar finalist a few years back which has dialogue in four different languages.)

César Nominations	Lumière Awards
JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE	THE LITTLE SISTER
BEST FEMALE NEWCOMER	BEST FEMALE REVELATION
Manon Clavel, Kika Suzanne Lindon, Colours of Time Nadia Melliti, The Little Sister Camille Rutherford, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life Anja Verderosa, Hearts on Fire	Manon Clavel, Kika Bella Kim, Winter in Sokcho ★ Nadia Melliti, The Little Sister Jessica Pennington, Mektoub My Love Anja Verderosa, Hearts on Fire
BEST MALE NEWCOMER	BEST MALE RELEVATION
Idir Azougli, Meteors Sayyid El Alami, La Pampa Felix Lefebvre, Hearts on Fire Guillaume Marbeck, Nouvelle Vague Theodore Pellerin, Nino	Idir Azougli, Meteors Younes Boucif, La Petite Cuisine de Mehdi ★ Guillaume Marbeck, Nouvelle Vague Theodore Pellerin, Nino Eloy Pohu, Enzo

You'll remember that Nadia Melliti won Best Actress at Cannes this year for her titular role in The Little Sister, about a French-Algerian lesbian (the movie also won the Queer Palm); She seems like a definite threat to win a Cesar.

Similar amount of crossover (i.e. mostly 3/5 alignments) in the "breakthrough" type of categories where both awards bodies honor new stars. Curious to see Theodore Pellerin show up here. The French-Canadian actor has been familiar to us for a handful of years now but maybe France hasn't gotten most of his films? But then again the awards history suggests you can stay in "Newcomer" territory for a long time in France. Benjamin Voisin, for example, who US audiences probably know best at the genius pastry chef lead of the Apple TV streaming series Careme, is nominated in lead this year, but he first received two consecutive nominations at the Césars in this category. Another example Felix Lefebvre, who was nominated alongside him for François Ozon's Summer of 85 (2020) returns to the Newcomer category five years later. It's a puzzlement!

It's a reminder that if Oscar had this category there would be SHENANIGANS in campaigning just like there is now with leads campaigning as supporting. Paul Mescal probably would have campaigned as a Newcomer instead of supporting this season even though he'd already been Emmy, EFA, BAFTA, and Oscar nominated before Hamnet. (Sorry to keep harping on Paul but I guess that decision  really left a bad taste in my mouth despite my love for the actor's work)

César Nominations	Lumière Awards
NINO	THE GREAT ARCH
BEST FIRST FILM	BEST FIRST FILM
Ugo Bienvenue, Arco Amelie Bonnin, Leave One Day Antoine Chevrollier, Block Pass / La Pampa Pauline Loques, Nino Aurelien Peyra, Hearts on Fire	Valentine Cadic, That Summer in Paris Antoine Chevrollier, Block Pass / La Pampa Louise Hémon, The Girl in the Snow ★ Pauline Loques, Nino Lawrence Valin, Little Jaffna
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY	BEST SCREENPLAY
A Bear in the Jura Case 137 It Was Just An Accident Nino Nouvelle Vague	Case 137 ★ The Great Arch Nino Nouvelle Vague The Stranger
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Great Arch The Little Sister The Ties That Bind Us

Here we see the Césars treat writing like the Oscars do splitting it into two categories but the Lumieres are like the Globes in this regard with just one category.

César Nominations	Lumière Awards
THE GIRL IN THE SNOW	WHISPERS IN THE WOODS
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY	BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Case 137 The Girl in the Snow Nouvelle Vague The Stranger The Ties That Bind Us	The Condition The Girl in the Snow Nouvelle Vague ★ The Stranger Whispers in the Woods
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE	BEST MUSIC
Arco Case 137 The Little Sister The Richest Woman in the World The Stranger	Arco The Little Sister A Private Life The Stranger ★ Whispers in the Woods

The Girl in the Snow (also known as L'Engloutie) which is about a teacher sent to a small remote village to educate children, along with the two black and white beauties (Nouvelle Vague, The Stranger) were all up for Cinematography from both awards organizations.

It's worth noting that Whispers in the Woods, which won for Music at the Lumières and was up for Cinematography there, too, is a nature Documentary. Though I am no great fan of mixing documentaries with narrative features in awards, it's always struck me as odd that the Oscars allow it but almost never do it. It seems like Documentaries only ever show up regularly in Original Song and then once in a blue moon in Editing but surely if you're not making the distinction why haven't some superly shot docs made the Oscar cinematography list? 

César Nominations	Lumiére Awards
LITTLE AMELIE	ARCO
BEST ANIMATED FILM	BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco Little Amelie or the Character of Rain My Life in Versailles	★ Arco A Boat in the Garden Little Amelie or the Character of Rain A Magnificent Life My Life in Versailles
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM	BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Bicyclette Le Cinquieme Plan de Jetee Personne N'y Comprend Rien Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk Whispers in the Woods	Lumiere ★ Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk Sarkoazy- Gaddali: The Scandal of Scandals Tell Her That I Love Her Whispers in the Woods
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM	BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Black Dog One Battle After Another The Secret Agent Sentimental Value Sirat	Afternoons of Solitude It Was Just An Accident ★ The Secret Agent Sentimental Value The Voice of Hind Rajab

As expected, given their track record at other awards, French animated features Arco and Little Amelie did well at home, too. They're both so good so it's wonderful that Oscar nominations didn't prove too difficult to secure. 

As for International Feature, The Secret Agent continues to perform formidably. Can it beat Sentimental Value at the Oscars despite the latter having far more nominations and taking the EFA?

 in terms of categories that the Lumiere's don't have, the César Awards chose this way...

CÉSAR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nadia Melliti & Park Ji-Min are both nominated for THE LITTLE SISTER

• Jeanne Balibar, Nino
• Dominique Blanc, Leave One Day
• Marina Foïs, The Richest Woman in the World
• Park Ji-Min, The Little Sister
• Vilmela Ponds, The Ties That Bind Us 

Park Ji-Min, who you'll remember as the fantastic leading actress of the Cambodian Oscar finalist Return to Seoul (2022),  is up for Supporting Actress in The Little Sister. Yay!

CÉSAR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Swann Arlaud, Xavier Dolan and Claes Bang in THE GREAT ARCH

• Swann Arlaud, The Great Arch
• Xavier Dolan, The Great Arch
• Michel Fau, The Great Arch
• Pierre Lottin, The Stranger
• Raphaël Personnaz, The Richest Woman in the World

The Great Arch, the story of the 1980s French design competition won by an unknown Danish architect, really dominated Supporting Actor with the great Swann Arlaud, the French Canadian auteur/actor Xavier Dolan and Michel Fau (who plays François Mitterand) all nominated. In Richest Woman in the World -- which is apparently a comedy despit the heavy subject matter -- Raphaël Personnaz plays the loyal butler to an heiress who leaves hundreds of millions in her will to an unscrupulous gay artist, prompting lawsuits from her family. Did they mean for the butler character to randomly be one of the most handsome men in the world or was this just an accident of casting? 

BEST EDITING

• 13 Days, 13 Nights
• Case 137
• The Little Sister
• Nouvelle Vague
• The Ties That Bind Us

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Colours of Time
• La Condition
• Dracula
• Nouvelle Vague
• The Richest Woman in the World

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

• Colours of Time
• Dog 51
• The Great Arch
• Once Upon My Mother
• Nouvelle Vague

BEST SOUND

• Arco
• Case 137
• Leave One Day
• Nouvelle Vague
• Whisper in the Woods

While the nature doc Whisper in the Woods received more nominations at the Lumières, apparently the César voters like it, too.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• Dog 51
• The Great Arch
• L'Homme qui Retrécit
• Nouvelle Vague

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

• Les Belles Cicatrices
• Dieu Est Timide
• Fille De L'Eau

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

• Au Bain Des Dames
• Car Wash
• Ni Dieu Ni Père

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

• Big Boys Don't Cry
• Death of an Actor
• Two People Exchanging Saliva
• Wonderwall

Two People Exchanging Salive is the Oscar crossover here.

Comments

[Peggy Sue]

Oh, merde! I thought this was the year for Ozon.

Glad for Linklater. Film Twitter clearly hasn't seen Nouvelle Vague. Marbeck and Zoey are wonderful in it.

[charlea]

This just reminds me that Nouvelle Vague got shut out of the Oscar’s and that’s a bummer. It was so much better than many of the best picture nominees.

[Mr Ripley79]

@Nat,you keep singing Jodie's praises,i'm a huge huge fan and am really happy she has returned for good it seems and is looking happier and more settled than she ever did,love obviosly agrees with her,how would you rank it on a Jodie Top 10.

[Flowers By Irene]

No Alpha at all. Don’t worry my dear Golshifteh Farahani, the day when they will bury you with gold will arrive. I believe it

[McGill]

I saw Vie Privee this week. One thing I cherish about Jodie Foster is that when she plays a super smart person, you believe her. You just think, well of course, the actress IS that smart. I also had a great longing for her Art Nouveau apartment.

I really loved Nouvelle Vague. I thought Zoey Deutch was great in it, sparkling and free and funny. The male actor who caught my eye wasn’t the one playing Godard (who was fine) but the actor playing the cameraman Raoul Coutard, French actor Matthieu Penchinat. I read he was also a clown, and I thought I could see that in his openness and readiness for anything that happened.

Little Amelie is based on one of my favourite books, which I never dreamed could be made into a movie… but was! I really liked it.

The one I am predisposed Against is The Stranger. I’ve read that book 4 or 5 times and every time it’s worse, and you see its many failings over and over. It’s on every French reading list because it’s a novella, it’s short, and has the status of classic. No one ever re-evaluates these short books, and replaces them with something infinitely better. The language of L’Etranger is useless for you in learning French.

[sandwichspy]

It's a crime that Nouvelle Vague was ignored for the entire awards season.

[EricB]

Nathaniel, as a fellow Francophile, I so appreciate you covering these each year.

I once again co-sign your love for Jodie in A Private Life...she delivers on all the things we love about her, but also has a fierce element of fun in her that we don't always see. One of the greats with a great role.

And I co-sign on the love for Nouvelle Vague as well...glad that Linklater is getting one big nomination for it this season.

Bummer about Ozon and The Stranger...it's so beautiful to look at. He's still undervalued as a director after all these years...so much frisky, adventurous work.

I miss annual hotties Francois Civil and Romain Duris...they're both such fantastic actors and we don't get the glory of seeing them as often as we should!

[Arnaud Trouvé]

In the 30-year history of the Lumière awards, this is the first time their Best Film pick (THE STRANGER) is not nominated for the corresponding César !

At only 44, Swann Arlaud can become the most awarded male actor ever. (This would be his 4th César)
As for Richard Linklater, he can be the second US director to win, after Joseph Losey for MONSIEUR KLEIN in 1977.

Sad for ALPHA : I liked it more than TITANE.

Fingers crossed for Brazil, Norway or China : none of their productions have won Best International Film yet.

[Arnaud Trouvé]

Also, disappointing to see the excellent cast of IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT being ignored during this award season.

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