Cesar Winners: "Les Misérables" is tops... but now we're curious about "La Belle Epoque"
Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 12:00PM
NATHANIEL R in Alexis Menenti, An Officer and a Spy, Anaïs Demoustier, César Awards, Fanny Ardant, La Belle Epoque, Les Miserables, Papicha, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Roman Polanski, Roschdy Zem

Yes yes, we were supposed to be taking the weekend off. But we forgot about the Césars held yeseterday in France. So...

Cast & Crew of "Les Miserables" at the Cesars

 

While Roman Polanski's "J'Accuse!" led the César nominations in the end it lost "Best Film" to France's Oscar nominated Les Misérables. Both films won multiple prizes. Curiously considering two prizes for Polanski himself, two films which center on the sexual abuse of kids (By the Grace of God and "M") also won Césars. The dramedy La Belle Epoque, starring longtime gallic icons Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant, also made a strong showing with 3 wins. A complete list of winners, some stats, and the trailer to La Belle Epoque are after the jump...

Best Film

Best Director

Yes, Polanski has won every time he's been nominated as a director at the Césars, starting with Tess (1979) which also nabbed him an Oscar nomination for direction.

Best Actress

Emmanuelle Devos with César winner Anaîs Demoustier at the Cesars

Best Actor

Roschdy Zem takes Best Actor at the 45th Césars

Best Foreign Film 

Parasite dominated this particular award in just about every country. But it's worth noting that this was Pedro Almodóvar's fourth time up for Best Foreign Film at the Césars. Volver, All About My Mother, and Tie Me Up Tie Me Down were also nominated in their years with All About... winning as it did at the Oscars. 

Best Documentary

"M"

While "M"'s poster features the smiling image above, it's actually a documentary about sexual abuse. It follows the actor Menahem Lang (Promised Land, Jellyfish) returning to the town of his childhood east of Tel Aviv where he was repeatedly raped and the closed utra Orthodox community that makes discussing such things difficult. 

Best First Film

We haven't yet seen Papicha (Algeria's most recent Oscar submission) but we're a bit sad that Atlantics couldn't take any Césars. Have you watched it on Netflix yet? 

Best Original Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay

 

Best Supporting Actress

Fanny Ardant with La Belle Epoque's writer/director Nicolas Bedos. They both won Césars.

Best Supporting Actor

Swann Arlaud

Best Female Newcomer

Lyna Khoudri, who starred in Algeria's Oscar submission Papicha won Best Female Newcomer

Best Male Newcomer

Alexis Menenti won Best Male Newcomer for "Les Miserables"

 

Best Animated Feature 

Best Editing

Best Cinematography

 

A deserved win for Claire Mathon, who also exquisitely shot Atlantics this past year, but why was this the only prize that Portrait won? Why don't the French love it as much as we do?

Best Costumes

 Jean du Jardin in Chavanne costumes

Best Production Design

Best Original Score

Best Sound

Other Prizes...

Audience Award

Animated Short

Here's the trailer to LA BELLE EPOQUE if you're curious... It's got a bit of a Westworld without all the violence vibe or Fantasy Island without all the Mr Roarke and Tattoo or The Truman Show without all the deception. We're officially curious.

So the nom/win tally went like so

  1. AN OFFICER AND A SPY - 12 nominations / 3 wins
  2. LES MISERABLES -10 nominations / 4 wins
  3. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE  - 10 nominations / 1 win
  4. LA BELLE EPOQUE - 9 nominations / 3 wins
  5. BY THE GRACE OF GOD   - 8 nominations / 1 win
  6. THE SPECIALS - 8 nominations / 0 wins
  7. OH MERCY - 6 nominations
  8. I LOST MY BODY - 3 nominations / 2 wins
  9. ATLANTICS  - 3 nominations / 0 wins
  10. PAPICHA - 2 nominations / 2 wins
  11. THE WOLF'S CALL (LE CHANT DU LOUP) - 2 nominations / 1 win
  12. CYRANO MY LOVE and SEULES LES BETES and IN THE NAME OF THE LAND- 2 nominations / 0 wins
Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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