France’s Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences on Wednesday morning unveiled the nominees for this year’s Cesar Awards — the country’s equivalent to the Oscars — during a breakfast press conference at the famed Fouquet’s restaurant on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
The Sisters Brothers, Jacques Audiard's Western starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly, had a strong showing, getting nine nominations, including for best film and best director. The film had been seen as an early favorite after having won the Silver Lion in Venice last year.
But it was bested by Oscar nominee Xavier Legrand's first feature, Custody, which got 10 noms. The divorce drama won the Silver Lion in Venice in 2017 and tied for the French critics' Louis Delluc Prize in December. Gilles Lellouche's Sink or Swim, a comedy that bowed out of competition in Cannes, also received 10 mentions.
Among the other big-name nominees are Audrey Tautou in the best supporting actress category; Lily-Rose Depp, who received a nomination in the best new actress category for her role in Louis Garrel's A Faithful Man; and two-time Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat for best original music for Sisters Brothers.
As previously announced, Robert Redford will receive this year's honorary Cesar Award, and British actress Kristin Scott Thomas will preside over the ceremony as honorary president.
This year's Cesars cap off a 2018 that The Hollywood Reporter's Paris-based critics Jordan Mintzer and Boyd van Hoeij characterized as an off year for French cinema.
The Cesars will be awarded Feb. 22 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.
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Best Film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Venice International Film Festival Memoir of War, Emmanuel Finkiel
The Trouble With You, Pierre Salvadori
The Sisters Brothers, Jacques Audiard
Sink or Swim, Gilles Lellouche
Guy, Alex Lutz
WINNER – Custody, Xavier Legrand
In Safe Hands, Jeanne Herry -
Best Director
Image Credit: Magali Bragard/Annapurna Pictures Emmanuel Finkiel, Memoir of War
Pierre Salvadori, The Trouble With You
WINNER – Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers
Gilles Lellouche, Sink or Swim
Alex Lutz, Guy
Xavier Legrand, Custody
Jeanne Harry, In Safe Hands -
Best Foreign Film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonaugh
Capernaum, Nadine Labaki
Cold War, Pawel Pawlikowski
Girl, Lukas Dhont
Hannah, Andrea Pallaoro
Our Struggles, Guillaume Senez
WINNER – Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-Eda -
Best Actress
Image Credit: Courtesy of Venice International Film Festival Elodie Bouchez, In Safe Hands
Cecile de France, Mademoiselle de Joncquieres
WINNER – Lea Drucker, Custody
Virginie Efira, An Impossible Love
Adele Haenel, The Trouble With You
Sandrine Kiberlain, In Safe Hands
Melanie Thierry, Memoir of War -
Best Actor
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes Edouard Baer, Mademoiselle de Joncquieres
Romain Duris, Our Struggles
Vincent Lacoste, Amanda
Gilles Lellouche, In Safe Hands
WINNER – Alex Lutz, Guy
Pio Marmai, The Trouble With You
Denis Menochet, Custody -
Best Supporting Actress
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival Isabelle Adjani, The World Is Yours
Leila Bekhti, Sink or Swim
Virginie Efira, Sink or Swim
Audrey Tautou, The Trouble With You
WINNER – Karin Viard, Little Tickles -
Best Supporting Actor
Image Credit: Mika Cotellon Jean-Hugues Anglade, Sink or Swim
Damien Bonnard, The Trouble With You
Clovis Cornillac, Little Tickles
WINNER – Philippe Katerine, Sink or Swim
Denis Podalydes, Sorry Angel -
Best New Actress
Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Ophelie Bau, Mektoub My Love
Galatea Bellugi, The Apparition
Jehnny Beth, An Impossible Love
Lily-Rose Depp, A Faithful Man
WINNER – Kenza Fortas, Sheherazade -
Best New Actor
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes Anthony Bajon, The Prayer
Thomas Gioria, Custody
William Lebghil, The Freshmen
Karim Leklou, The World Is Yours
WINNER – Dylan Robert, Sheherazade -
Best Original Screenplay
Image Credit: Courtesy of Venice International Film Festival The Trouble With You, by Pierre Salvadori, Beoit Graffin, Benjamin Charbit
Sink or Swim, by Gilles Lellouche, Ahmed Hamidi, Julien Lambroschini
Guy, by Alex Lutz, Anais Deban, Thibault Segouin
WINNER – Custody, by Xavier Legrand
In Safe Hands, Jeanne Herry -
Best Adapted Screenplay
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival WINNER – Little Tickles, by Andrea Bescond, Eric Metayer
Memoir of War, by Emmanuel Finkiel
The Sisters Brothers, by Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain
Mademoiselle de Joncquieres, by Emmanuel Mouret
An Impossible Love, by Catherine Corsini, Laurette Polmanss -
Best Animated Film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Annecy International Animation Film Festival Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion, Alexandre Astier and Louis Clichy
WINNER – Dilili in Paris, Michel Ocelot
Pachamama, Juan Antin -
Best Documentary Film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cineart America, Claus Drexel
Da Chaque Instant, Nicolas Philibert
Le Grand Bal, Laetitia Carton
WINNER – Ni Juge, Ni Soumise, Jean Libon, Yves Hinant
The State Against Mandela and the Others, Nicolas Champeaux, Gilles Porte -
Best First Film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes L'Amour Flou, Romaine Bohringer
Little Tickles, Andrea Bescond, Eric Metayer
Custody, Xavier Legrand
Savage, Camille Vidal-Naquet
WINNER – Sheherazade, Jean-Bernard Marlin -
Best Original Score
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes Anton Sanko, Amanda
Camille Bazbaz, The Trouble With You
Alexandre Desplat, The Sisters Brothers
WINNER – Vincent Blanchard, Romain Greffe, Guy
Pascal Sangla, In Safe Hands
Gregoire Hetzel, An Impossible Love -
Best Cinematography
Image Credit: Courtesy of TIFF Alexis Kavyrchine, Memoir of War
WINNER – Benoit Debie, The Sisters Brothers
Laurent Tangy, Sink or Swim
Nathalie Durand, Custody
Laurent Desmet, Mademoiselle de Joncquieres -
Best Costumes
Image Credit: Courtesy of TIFF Anais Romand, Sergio Ballo, Memoir of War
Pierre-Yves Gayraud, The Emperor of Paris
Milena Canonero, The Sisters Brothers
WINNER – Pierre-Jean Larroque, Mademoiselle de Joncquieres
Anais Romand, One Nation, One King -
Best Editing
Image Credit: Courtesy of Venice International Film Festival Valerie Deseine, Little Tickles
Isabelle Devinck, The Trouble With You
Juliette Welfling, The Sisters Brothers
Simon Jacquet, Sink or Swim
WINNER – Yorgos Lamprinos, Custody -
Best Sound
Image Credit: Courtesy of Venice International Film Festival Antoine-Basile Mercier, David Vranken, Aline Gavroy, Memoir of War
WINNER – Brigitte Taillandier, Valerie de Loof, Cyril Holts, The Sisters Brothers
Cedric Delouche, Gwennole le Borgene, Marc Doisne, Sink or Swim
Yves-Marie Omnes, Antoine Baudouin, Stephane Thiebaut, Guy
Julien Sicart, Julien Roig, Vincent Verdoux, Custody -
Best Production Design
Image Credit: Magali Bragard/Annapurna Pictures Pascal Le Guellec, Memoir of War
Emile Ghigo, The Emperor of Paris
WINNER – Michel Barthelemy, The Sisters Brothers
David Faivre, Mademoiselle de Joncquieres
Thierry Francois, One Nation, One King
