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Garrel and Moll top César nominations

France unveils contenders for Gallic answer to Oscars

by Richard Mowe

It’s a fair cop: Roschdy Zem and Louise Garrel received acting nods in Garrel’s comedy The Innocent Photo: UniFrance

After the Oscars it’s the turn of the French César Academy to reveal the list of nominations today, ahead of the 48th ceremony, which is scheduled for 24 February at the fabled Parisian music hall, the Olympia.

Dominik Moll’s taut thriller The Night Of The 12th leads the fray alongside Louis Garrel’s police comedy The Innocent which he directs and co-stars in with Noémie Merlant, followed closely by Cédric Klapisch’s dance extravaganza Rise/En Corps; Albert Serra’s Pacifiction; Valéria Bruni Tedeschi’s Forever Young/Les Amandines; Cédric Jimenez’s Bataclan police drama November; Eric Gravel’s Full Time/A Plein Temps, and Alice Diop’s Saint Omer. The latter has been much favoured by international critics but did not make the final round for Oscars for best foreign film.

Newcomer Bastien Bouillon (left) emerges as a best newcomer contender for his role alongside Bouli Lanners in Dominik Moll’s The Night Of The 12th Photo: UniFrance

The edition already has run into a spot of controversy with the exclusion of actor Sofiane Bennacer from the short list of best newcomer for his role in Forever Young after reports of him being indicted on charges of rape and violence (still to be tested in the courts). Bennacer also became an item with Bruni Tedeschi who with her sister Carla has vocalised her support. The Academy has voted not to invite anyone to the ceremony who has been indicted or sentenced for acts of sexual or sexist violence.

Garrel’s film has received 11 mentions including for best film and best director and also best actor (for Garrel). Moll’s thriller, an investigation into a femicide, has scooped ten nominations and marks a comeback for the director of Harry, He’s Here To Help/Harry, Un Ami Qui Vous Veut Du Bien, for which he received the best director award in 2011.

Some 260 films were eligible in the awards, whose ceremony will be chaired by master of ceremonies Tahar Rahim, the actor who launched his career in with a break through role in A Prophet by Jacques Audiard. There are more than 4700 members of the Academy.

The nominations reflect some of the winners in the Lumière Awards, described as France’s riposte to the Golden Globes and are awarded by foreign journalists working in France. The ceremony took place in Paris earlier this month. The Night Of The 12th was named best film and also won Best Screenplay. Best Director was Albert Serra for Pacifiction for which Benoît Magical picked up a Best Actor gong. Dimitri Doré scooped Best Male Newcomer for Bruno Reidal and Nadia Tereszkiewicz won Best Female Newcomer for her performance in Forever Young. Little Nicolas was named Best Animation as well as picking up other awards.

Selected list of César nominations 2023:

Best Film