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The Count trumps all comers in César nominations

Beating Hearts, Emilia Pérez and The Marching Band all closely vie for attention

by Richard Mowe

No fewer than 14 César nominations for The Count Of Monte Cristo starring Pierre Niney Photo: UniFrance

The denizens of France’s Academie des Césars (the equivalent of the Oscars or the BAFTAs) have voted for box office winners in their choices to go forward for Best Film, including the costume drama from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, The Count Of Monte Cristo, Jacques Audiard’s Mexican drugs cartel musical Emilia Pérez, and Emmanuel Courcol’s The Marching Band. Two more edgy titles, Souleymane’s Story and Miséricordia also have best picture nods in the contenders announced today.

Epic crime romance Beating Hearts scored 13 César nominations Photo: UniFrance

The Count Of Monte Cristo, which had a lacklustre performance in the recent Lumière Awards (bestowed by the foreign press working in France), trumped all-comers in the Césars with 14 nominations, while Gilles Lellouche’s epic crime romance Beating Hearts came a close second with 13. Emilia Pérez also was a strong performer, with 12 nominations.

A Best First Film nomination was scored by Artus (director and performer) for A Little Something Extra, a surprise box office hit which featured a cast of non-professional actors with various disabilities.

French director Coralie Fargeat won a Best Foreign Film nomination for The Substance with Demi Moore because it was made outside of France and is considered an American production.

Two female directors, however, who also featured in the Lumière Awards have nabbed nominations for Best First Film – Louise Courvoisier for Holy Cow and Agathe Riedinger for Wild Diamond.

With Jury Prize and Best Actor prize after its appearance in Un Certain Regard, and a Best Actor for Abou Sangare at the Lumières, it is not surprising that Souleymane’s Story should have continued its upward trajectory with eight César nominations, the same as the score for Alain Guiraudie’s Miséricordia.

Surprise box office hit A Little Something Extra - Best First Film nomination Photo: UniFrance

Another notable in the best actor stakes is Tahar Rahim for his performance as the singer Charles Aznavour in the biopic Monsieur Aznavour.

Besides The Substance the other best foreign film nominees are: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning Anora, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone Of Interest and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig.

Catherine Deneuve will provide an elegant aura as the president of the ceremony at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris on 28 February, with Julia Roberts lined up as the recipient of an honorary César.

The main awards:

Best Film

The Count Of Monte Cristo, directed by Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de la Patelliere
Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard
The Marching Band, directed by Emmanuel Courcol
Souleymane’s Story, directed by Boris Lojkine
Miséricordia, directed by Alain Guiraudie

Best Director