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Bye Bye Morons takes Best Film at Césars

Albert Dupontel's black comedy wins seven awards at French Oscars

by Richard Mowe

Bye Bye Morons was named Best Film at the Césars Photo: UniFrance

After scoring a record total of 13 César nominations including best film and best director Emmanuel Mouret’s Love Affair(s) lost out to Albert Dupontel’s black comedy Bye Bye Morons which took the two top honours instead.

In the absence of director Dupontel, who also stars, it was left to actress Virginie Efira to receive the award on stage at the mythical Olympia music hall (capacity almost 2000) whose stage has been graced by the likes of Edith Piaf, Joséphine Baker, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Madonna … and many more. Efira plays a seriously ill woman on a mission to reunite with her long lost child.

Bye Bye Morons also took the prizes for best supporting actor for Nicolas Mairé as well as original screenplay, cinematography and set design.

Love Affair(s) was rewarded with a best supporting actress gong for Emilie Duquenne.

The modest throng without any public present were pleased to be able to escape the national 6pm curfew as cultural exceptions to witness the 46th ceremony in person - France’s riposte to the Oscars.

Best actor César for Sami Bouajila for A Son

The mistress of ceremonies was actress Marina Fois and the president of the evening Roschdy Zem, winner of a best actor César last year for Oh Mercy! (Roubaix, une lumière) by Arnaud Desplechin. Zem said that cinema had continued to exist mainly at home - but what sadly was lacking was the collective experience which he hoped wouldn’t take too long to return.

Despite the closure of French cinemas from October and another shutdown earlier in the year during the first lockdown, many of the titles nominated managed to be released on the big screen on their home turf and in festivals as well as streaming later down the line. The Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot underlined that France had managed to make more than 200 films in the last 12 months - ready to be revealed once cinemas reopen while many of the participants urged her to speed up the reopening of the cultural sector.

One of the most insistent was actress Corinne Masiero who liberated herself from a blood-stained donkey costume and got naked in protest at ongoing cultural Covid restrictions and the plight of freelance theatre and film workers before presenting the costume award to Madeline Fontaine for La Bonne Epouse.

The clear message from the organisers the Académie des Césars and TV channel Canal+ broadcasting live was that the physical show had to be maintained at all costs to give “life to cinema despite the crisis.”

Among the other nominations Laure Calamy, from the Netflix series Call My Agent, took best actress honours for My Donkey, My Lover and I while Sami Bouajila was named best actor for A Son (Un fils).

Filippo Meneghetti’s tale of a lesbian love affair Two Of Us, with widely admired performances from Martine Chevallier and Barbara Sukowa, won best first film for its director.

Newcomer acting awards went to Jean-Pascal Zadi for Tout Simplement Noir and to 14-year-old Fathia Youssouf in Cuties. Zadi also stars in his film about a Black actor trying to organise a protest in France, and gave an impassioned speech about facing up to prejudice.

The much favoured Adolescentes, by Sébastien Lifshitz, which also was in the best film category, received the best documentary accolade.

Since last year’s controversial proceedings including a backlash as a result of a best director award for Roman Polanski and An Officer And A Spy and a walk-out by the director Céline Sciamma and cast of Portrait Of A Lady on Fire, the organisation of the Academy has been revamped and expanded from 45 to 162 board members with the aim of ensuring greater inclusivity on gender balance and racial grounds. As part of the diversity Ladj Ly, whose Les Miserables won best film among other accolades, and Lyna Khoudri, who won best female newcomer for her role in Papicha have become members.

Marie-Ange Luciani, producer of Robin Campillo’s AIDS activist drama 120 BPM (Beats Per Minute) has been active in ringing the changes. “We still have a long way to go and there should be way more diversity within the 4292 voting members, but even in French society, there is a lot of work to do to make it more inclusive,” she has been quoted as saying. New faces at the top include the new president, Veronique Cayla, former head of Franco-German channel Arte, and vice chair Eric Toledano, the popular co-director of smash-hit The Intouchables and C’est La Vie (Le Sens de la Fête).

On a lighter note the Academy paid a special tribute to the cult comedy troupe Le Splendid whom they reunited including Josiane Balasko, Thierry Lhermitte, Gérard Jugnot, Christian Clavier, Michel Blanc and Marie-Anne Chazel and awarded an honorary César to the late Jean-Pierre Bacri.

Best Film

Bye Bye Morons (Adieu Les Cons), dir: Albert Dupontel

Best Director

Albert Dupontel, Bye Bye Morons (Adieu Les Cons)

Best Actress

Laure Calamy, My Donkey, My Lover and I (Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes)

Best Actor

Sami Bouajila, A Son (Un Fils)

Best Supporting Actress

Emilie Dequenne, Love Affair(s) (The Things We Say, The Things We Do, Les Choses Qu’On Dit, Les Choses Qu’On Fait)

Best Supporting Actor

Nicolas Mairé, Bye Bye Morons (Adieu Les Cons)