The nominees for the French Cesars were announced last week, and Un Prophete (A Prophet), whose trailer I've seen a dozen times at Landmark theaters in the last month, and which is among the front-runners for the Academy's best foreign-language film, was the big dog, le grand chien, with 13 nominations, including best picture, director, actor, supporting actor and original screenplay. According to boxofficemojo, Sony Classics will finally release it here on February 26, but I'm not sure where "here" is yet. NY and LA? Probably. Fingers crossed for more. Hell, fingers crossed for Arkansas.

Speaking of—foreign films—what a motley crew the Cesars chose! At the same time they obviously don't suffer from the same strictures the Academy operates under—one film per country, selected by said country, etc.—because there are three Hollywood productions among the nominees. Mais..."Gran Torino," France? Vous etes fous?

Last year, by the way, "Seraphine" won the Cesar for meilleur film over, among others, "Entre les murs," "Il y a longtemps que je t'aime" et "Paris." "L'heure d'ete," my favorite film from last year, received only one nomination: meilleure actrice, un second role, for Edith Scob, for playing the mother, or grandmother, Helene.

Les nominees...

MEILLEUR FILM (BEST FILM)

• A L’ORIGINE  (IN THE BEGINNING)
• LE CONCERT (THE CONCERT)
• LES HERBES FOLLES (WILD GRASS)
• LA JOURNÉE DE LA JUPE (SKIRT DAY)
• RAPT
• UN PROPHÈTE (A PROPHET)
• WELCOME

MEILLEUR RÉALISATEUR (BEST DIRECTOR)

• JACQUES AUDIARD, A Prophet
• LUCAS BELVAUX, Rapt
• XAVIER GIANNOLI, In the Beginning
• PHILIPPE LIORET, Welcome
• RADU MIHAILEANU, The Concert

MEILLEUR ACTEUR (BEST ACTOR)

• YVAN ATTAL, Rapt
• FRANÇOIS CLUZET, In the Beginning
• FRANÇOIS CLUZET, Le dernier pour la route
• VINCENT LINDON, Welcome
• TAHAR RAHIM, A Prophet

MEILLEURE ACTRICE (BEST ACTRESS)

• ISABELLE ADJANI, Skirt Day
• DOMINIQUE BLANC, L’Autre / The Other One
• SANDRINE KIBERLAIN, Mademoiselle Chambon
• KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS, Partir / Leaving
• AUDREY TAUTOU, Coco Before Chanel

MEILLEUR ACTEUR, UN SECOND RÔLE (BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR)

• JEAN-HUGUES ANGLADE, Persécution
• NIELS ARESTRUP, A Prophet
• JOEYSTARR, Le bal des actrices
• BENOIT POELVOORDE, Coco Before Chanel
• MICHEL VUILLERMOZ, Le dernier pour la route

MEILLEURE ACTRICE, UN SECOND RÔLE (BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS)

• AURE ATIKA, Mademoiselle Chambon
• ANNE CONSIGNY, Rapt
• AUDREY DANA, Welcome
• EMMANUELLE DEVOS, In the Beginning
• NOÉMIE LVOVSKY, Les beaux gosses

MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO ORIGINAL (BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

• JACQUES AUDIARD, THOMAS BIDEGAIN, ABDEL RAOUF DAFRI, NICOLAS PEUFAILLIT, A Prophet
• XAVIER GIANNOLI, In the Beginning
• JEAN-PAUL LILIENFELD, Skirt Day
• PHILIPPE LIORET, EMMANUEL COURCOL, OLIVIER ADAM, Welcome
• RADU MIHAILEANU, ALAIN-MICHEL BLANC, The Concert

MEILLEURE ADAPTATION (BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

• STÉPHANE BRIZÉ, FLORENCE VIGNON, Mademoiselle Chambon
• ANNE FONTAINE, CAMILLE FONTAINE pour Coco Before Chanel
• PHILIPPE GODEAU, AGNÈS DE SACY, Le dernier pour la route
• LAURENT TIRARD, GRÉGOIRE VIGNERON, Le petit Nicolas
• ALEX RÉVAL, LAURENT HERBIET, Wild Grass

MEILLEURE PHOTO (BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY)

• CHRISTOPHE BEAUCARNE, Coco Before Chanel
• LAURENT DAILLAND, Welcome
• STÉPHANE FONTAINE, A Prophet
• ÉRIC GAUTIER, Wild Grass
• GLYNN SPEECKAERT, In the Beginning

MEILLEUR MONTAGE (BEST EDITING)

• CÉLIA LAFITEDUPONT, In the Beginning
• HERVÉ DE LUZE, Wild Grass
• ANDRÉA SEDLACKOVA, Welcome
• LUDO TROCH, The Concert
• JULIETTE WELFLING, A Prophet

MEILLEUR FILM ÉTRANGER (BEST FOREIGN FILM)

• AVATAR; directed by James Cameron
• GRAN TORINO; directed by Clint Eastwood
• MILK; directed by Gus Van Sant
• J’AI TUÉ MA MÈRE / I KILLED MY MOTHER; directed by Xavier Dolan
• PANIQUE AU VILLAGE; directed by Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar
• THE WHITE RIBBON; directed by Michael Haneke
• SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE; directed by Danny Boyle

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