29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
Count of Monte Cristo and Emilia Perez frontrunners in French 'Oscars'
Monte Cristo, a high-budget French adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' epic novel The Count of Monte Cristo, was the second most-watched film in French cinemas last year and leads the Césars nominations with 14.
Lead actor Pierre Niney is the frontrunner in the best actor category, but faces competition from François Civil who starred in the surprise French comedy hit of the year, Un p'tit truc en plus (A Little Something Extra).
The film about a father and son who go to work in a holiday camp for people with disabilities topped the French 2024 box office and picked up 13 nominations.
The French film L'Amour Ouf (Beating Hearts) picked up 13 César nominations while Emilia Perez, directed by Frenchman Jacques Audiard and the most-nominated film for the Oscars, was picked in 12 categories for the Césars, including best film and best director.
The surreal musical odyssey about a narco boss who transitions to life as a woman shattered the record for the most Academy Award nominations for a non-English-language film last week with 13 Oscar nominations.
It was also the second-most nominated film for Britain's BAFTA awards, according to the shortlist unveiled on January 15, behind Vatican thriller Conclave.
However it has sparked anger in Mexico, with some saying that it shows a stereotyped and cartoon image of the country - a Mexican director has released a short film called Johanna Sacrebleu poking fun at French stereotypes.
The Césars will be handed out in Paris on February 28 marking the 50th anniversary of the awards.
Winners are picked by the 4,951 members of the Cesars academy.
