There was no press conference for the César 2022.
list of appointments was sent by email to the media this Wednesday morning without preamble. 20 minutes took the time to dissect the 24 categories, to deplore the lack of citation for Kaamelot: First part by Alexandre Astier and Little mom by Céline Sciamma, and to make some observations. Here is, in broad outline, what these 126 nominations teach us one month before the ceremony which will be broadcast on February 25 on Canal +, live from L’Olympia.
Cinema for the general public and auteur films…
Every year, the César nominations are an opportunity to relaunch the squabble between popular cinema and auteur films. A debate beside the plate and all the more so as the last two winners of the best film, Wretched and Goodbye idiots, exceeded two million admissions. Certainly, Kaamelot: First part, the biggest French success of 2021 in terms of admissions (2.6 million tickets sold) received no nominations, although it could have at least claimed a mention for costumes or sets. Admittedly, the other cartoons of the comedy that are The Tuches 4 and Bodin’s in Thailand (2.4 and 1.6 million admissions respectively) fared no better – but did they really have that claim?
However, works to which the public has reserved a good reception appear in good place. To start with Alinethe real-fake biopic of Celine Dion directed by Valérie Lemercier which has ten nominations (including best film, best director, best actress and best original screenplay). North ferry, with 2.2 million admissions, was cited seven times, notably for best film, best director and best actor (for Gilles Lellouche). The proof that the controversy and the recovery of the film by the far right did not harm it. It should be noted all the same that he is not in the running for a trophy: from the scenario. A way to imply that this is not the greatest quality of the film?
The Thriller Black Box, a surprise back-to-school success that captivated more than 1.2 million suspense fans, is entitled to five nominations, including best original screenplay and best actor for Pierre Niney. We want to add to this list Lost Illusions. The adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s novel by Xavier Giannoli has no less than fifteen nominations. It recorded 850,000 admissions, a nice score but which is not up to the potential of this exhilarating film and accessible to the widest possible audience.
“Titanium” has lead in the wing
Despite his Palme d’or obtained at the last Cannes Film Festival, Titanium does not appear in the list of nominees for the César for best film. The voters preferred him Aline, Annette, North ferry, The Event, The divide, lost illusions and Onoda, 10,000 nights in the jungle. Since the creation of the ceremony in 1976, this is the first time that a sacred tricolor feature film on the Croisette has been snubbed at the great raout of French cinema. Under Satan’s Sun, Between the walls, The Life of Adele and Dheepan had, in their time, been entitled to their citation in the race for the César for best film and alone The pianist had won the Palme + César double… On the other hand, Julia Ducournau can claim the César for best director. The Academy therefore salutes the work of the filmmaker and her risk-taking – as well as the performance of Agathe Rousselle named among the female hopefuls – but, granting only two other nominations to the film (for best photography and best effects visuals), confirms that Titanium is a divisive work.
“The Event” ready to make the event?
The adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel by Audrey Diwan is the other highlight of French cinema at the festival in 2021. The film, evoking an illegal abortion in France in the 1960s, left the Venice Film Festival with the Golden Lion. The event has “only” four nominations for the Césars, but could well leave with the four trophies on the evening of the ceremony: best director, best film, best adaptation and best female hope for Anamaria Vartolomei.
The “Onoda” case
Onoda, 10,000 nights in the jungle caused a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival. This almost three-hour film by Arthur Harari, shot in Cambodia and in the Japanese language, follows a Japanese soldier who, unaware that the Second World War has ended, continued to fight for thirty years… in the midst of the health crisis, Onoda brought together just over 45,500 people in the room. This is why the jury of the Louis-Delluc prize, which rewarded it at the beginning of January, pleaded for the film to benefit from a new cinema release. The Académie des César will not say the opposite: voters voted for this feature film which has won four nominations: best film, best director, best photo and best original screenplay. Onoda will therefore approach the ceremony with an outsider status that could smile on him. A destiny to Fatima is not impossible. In 2016, Philippe Faucon’s feature film also received the Louis-Delluc prize before being crowned best film against strong competitors (Dheepan, My king, Daisy…).