The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley is at the top of the César nominations by a narrow margin anatomy of a fall, which continues its extraordinary journey.
• Also read: The film Just like Sylvain, by Monia Chokri, in the running for the César
Its director Justine Triet and two female filmmakers are also selected for the Best Director category, a year after the controversy that arose from the lack of female representation in this award.
“The Animal Kingdom,” a fantasy film set in the near future in which humans have begun to mutate into animal creatures, received 12 nominations on Wednesday, most notably for best picture, best actor for Romain Duris and best director.
The cast of the film “The Animal Kingdom”. AFP
Anatomy of a Fall, a dissection of the power dynamics within an artistic family that received five nominations on Tuesday, including best picture and best director at the Oscars, is a close second, qualifying in 11 categories.
This performance confirms the success of this 2 hour and 32 minute film that retraces the trial of a woman accused of killing her husband, with the couple's visually impaired boy as the only witness, and which Justine Triet did back in May made it possible for her to become the third female director in history to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
In addition to the “Best Film” and “Best Actress” categories for the German Sandra Hülser, 45 years old, Justine Triet, also 45 years old, is selected in the “Best Director” category. This trophy has only been won once in the history of the Césars by a woman, namely by Tonie Marshall, for Vénus Beauté (Institut) in 2000.
But this year there are two other female directors nominated in this category: Catherine Breillat, 75, for “Last Summer,” a story of incest in a bourgeois setting with Léa Drucker (nominated for best actress), and Jeanne Herry for “Je will Always Lake”. Your faces, choir film about justice. You are in competition with two directors, Cédric Kahn (“The Goldman Trial”) and Thomas Cailley.
Raphaël Quenard was appointed twice
A first feature film, Junkyard Dog by Jean-Baptiste Durand, 38, caused a surprise when it qualified for best film. This work, which has a total of seven nominations, stars Anthony Bajon and a newcomer, Raphaël Quenard, 32 years old.
This confirms his special status: not only is he nominated in the “Male Revelation” category for this film, but he was also promoted to the “Best Actor” category for his role in the comedy “Yannick” by Quentin Dupieux. He will compete with Benjamin Lavernhe and Melvil Poupaud.
Marion Cotillard, Virginie Efira and Hafsia Herzi are also in the running for actresses.
A total of 3,375 members of the Académie des César voted, or 72% of them. They now have a month to select the winners before the ceremony takes place on February 23rd at L'Olympia in Paris, chaired by Valérie Lemercier. Honorary Césars are awarded to the actress and director Agnès Jaoui and the American-British filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer).
The evening will be a baptism of fire for the new Minister of Culture Rachida Dati.
It often gives rise to political or social demands: Roselyne Bachelot, another former Sarkozyist who became Emmanuel Macron's culture minister during his first five-year term, was never able to digest the reception she received at César 2021.
“From the world of cinema, stuffed with public money, in the absence of recognition we can expect something – let's not demand the impossible!” – at least a short and polite greeting to the representative of the state during this demonstration,” she said in a book about her visit to Rue de Valois (2020-2022).
The most important nominations for the César Awards 2024
Here you will find the list of nominations in the main categories for the 49th César Awards, which will take place on February 23rd at the Olympia.
Best movie
Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet
Junkyard Dog by Jean-Baptiste Durand
The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley
I Will Always See Your Faces by Jeanne Herry
The Goldman trial against Cédric Kahn
Best performance
Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet
The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley
Last Summer by Catherine Breillat
I Will Always See Your Faces by Jeanne Herry
The Goldman trial against Cédric Kahn
Best Male Performance
Romain Duris in the animal kingdom
Benjamin Lavernhe in L'abbé Pierre – a life full of struggle
Melvil Poupaud in Love and the Woods.
Raphaël Quenard in Yannick
Arieh Worthalter in the Goldman trial
Best Female Performance
Marion Cotillard in Little Girl Blue
Léa Drucker last summer
Virginie Efira in Love and the Woods.
Hafsia Herzi in “The Rapture”.
Sandra Hülser in Anatomy of a Fall
The best supporting actress
Leïla Bekhti in I will always see your faces
Galatea Bellugi in Junkyard Dog
Elodie Bouchez in I Will Always See Your Faces
Adèle Exarchopoulos in I will always see your faces
Miou-Miou in I will always see your faces
Best supporting actor
Swann Arlaud in Anatomy of a Fall
Anthony Bajon in Junkyard Dog
Arthur Harari in the Goldman trial
Pio Marmaï in Yannick
Antoine Reinartz in “Anatomy of a Fall.”
Best first film
Bernadette by Léa Domenach
Dog from the Junkyard by Jean-Baptiste Durand
The joy of Iris Kaltenbäck
Vermin by Sébastien Vanicek
Vincent Must Die by Stéphan Castang
Most Promising Actress
Céleste Brunnquell in “Her Father’s Daughter.”
Kim Higelin agreed
Suzanne Jouannet in The Royal Road.
Rebecca Marder has great expectations
Ella Rumpf in Marguerite's sentence
Best male hope
Julien Frison in Marguerite's set
Paul Kircher in the animal kingdom
Samuel Kircher last summer
Milo Machado-Graner in “Anatomy of a Fall.”
Raphaël Quenard in Junkyard Dog