Césars

March 1, 2011By Nick HammondWhat's New Art & Culture

Praises Of The Cesars

Gainsbourg, Vie Héroïque, cesars
Eric Elmosnino, best actor for Gainsbourg (Vie Héroïque),with Laetitia Casta as Brigitte Bardot. Photo © Jérôme Brezillon.

Who needs Oscars when you have Césars? This year, the French awards ceremony took place in the same weekend as the American one, not that Hollywood would have noticed. And deservedly, the big winner (not even shortlisted for the best Foreign Film Oscar) was Des Hommes et des Dieux, with the César for best film and best supporting actor (Michael Lonsdale). Lambert Wilson was unfortunate not to win the best actor gong for his role in the same movie, but that went to Eric Elmosnino for his performance as Serge Gainsbourg in Gainsbourg (Vie Héroïque). Continuing the ceremony’s tradition of bizarre choices for best actress (after Isabelle Adjani’s award last year), this year’s César went to Sara Forestier for allowing her clothes to fall off at every available opportunity in Le Nom des Gens, which also won the best original screenplay. Roman Polanski’s best director prize for The Ghost Writer seems more like a show of solidarity for his recent travails than for a genuinely outstanding piece of direction.

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