Hail "César"s. France's Favorite Pictures

If by some stroke of bad luck or homegrown Hollywood love for The Descendants or Hugo,  The Artist is derailed at the Oscars on February 26th, it could still take home double handfuls of trophies at the Césars. While I'm sure all countries hate their own awards being called "_____'s Oscars", it's easy shorthand. Oscar was first, after all, thus laying the groundwork for all of this "Best Movie This, Best Movie That" until the end of time. 

France's Best Picture lineup has homegrown hits, successful exports and their Oscar submission

The Artist is up for 10 awards at the Césars... same number as the Oscars! The Cesars allow more than 5 nominees a category so it seems a bit like everyone is nominated. Other favorites from the French industry are two female-helmed films: Valerie Donzelli's gutsy vivid memory piece War is Declared (opening today in the States. Highly recommended!) and another actress turned director Mäiwenn's Polisse. (I always feel the need to remind people that Mäiwenn was the blue opera diva in The Fifth Element.) 

Film Experience favorite Carmen Maura is also up for a statue for her work in Women on the Sixth Floor.

Finally, in this quick take, we always get a kick out of the "foreign film" categories across the oceans when things are suddenly flipped and Hollywood itself is the foreign entity. Incredibly, The King's Speech is still with us (ARGH!) and it's up against other previous / current Oscar nominees like Black Swan, Incendies, and A Separation as well as films that were far too auteurist or contemporary for Oscar like Melancholia and Drive. Rounding out their foreign category is The Dardenne Brothers The Kid With the Bicycle. Great lineup, eh?

Full list of nominations after the jump and sexy pictures of a few "newcomer" nominations, since we love the French and we love eye candy. Who would you love to run into if you had a ticket to the Césars?

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César Freak-Out: Foster, Deneuve, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND

Here's a little treat for y'all from infrequent TFE contributor Julien who gave us a few Cannes tidbits last summer. This is the opening speech from the César Awards (The French Oscars as previously discussed). It's not subtitled but it's still tres drole to hear Jodie Foster's perfect French intoning the names of two of the greatest movie stars of all time in the audience: Catherine Deneuve and two time Best Actress Olivia de Havilland who gets a standing ovation! 

Merde that's exciting.

You can see de Havilland at :30 and again at the big moment happens around 1:18ish when Jodie calls her out and she's totally surprised by it. Olivia de Havilland, our "Melanie", our Heiress, our Maid Marian is 94 years old and still going to Awards shows! She's been living in France since her retirement in the 1950s. The Oscars should be so lucky to have her. Although even if they did, they probably wouldn't honor her properly like this. (At least they hauled Kirk Douglas out last night for the best moment of the show.)

Here's the video. Merci Julien

Who Should Wear This to the Oscars?

Here's what Julie Atlas Muz who stars in Mathieu Amalric's burlesque film Tournée wore to the Césars  (aka the French Oscars) yesterday.

poll by twiigs.com

How much would you pay to see the uproar at the Oscars if some attendee wore something like that?

Celebrities just don't take enough chances on the red carpet. Like the chance to be arrested for indecent exposure. Live a little movie stars. Come on. No more simple black gowns. We better see something crazy tomorrow night. Who can save us from the boring fashion parade to come?

.p.s. catch up on Oscar posts if you've been slacking!