The staggering (and well-deserved) 9-trophy haul for “A Prophet” at the Césars (including major wins for Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting actor and Original screenplay) is sure to bode well for its chances of walking away with the Foreign Film prize at the upcoming Academy Awards. Fresh off a BAFTA win earlier in the week, there appears to be a groundswell of last-minute support for Jacques Audiard’s gritty prison-cum-coming-of-age pic that renders the earlier frontrunner status of “The White Ribbon” murkier by the minute. Given the somewhat esoteric lineup the foreign film branch assembled this year, frankly, I would not be surprised if “A Prophet” did manage to win the Oscar. It is undoubtedly an assured, visceral and ultimately, momentous piece of work.
The baseless following of Clint Eastwood (seemingly in all corners of the globe) was reflected by 2008’s hold-over “Gran Torino” taking the foreign film award.
Having not seen the rest of the anointed films, there really isn’t much else to remark upon. A full list of winners, courtesy of InContention, after the cut:
Best Film: “A Prophet”
Best Director: Jacques Audiard, “A Prophet”
Best Actor: Tahar Rahim, “A Prophet”
Best Actress: Isabelle Adjani, “Skirt Day”
Best Supporting Actor: Niels Arestrup, “A Prophet”
Best Supporting Actress: Emmanuelle Devos, “In the Beginning”
Best Original Screenplay: Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Abdel Raouf Dafri and Nicolas Peufaillit, “A Prophet”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Stephane Brize and Florence Vignon, “Mademoiselle Chambon”
Best Foreign Film: “Gran Torino”
Best Documentary: “Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno”
Best First Film: “The French Kissers”
Best Breakthrough Actor: Tahar Rahim, “A Prophet”
Best Breakthrough Actress: Melanie Thierry, “One for the Road”
Best Original Score: Armand Amar, “The Concert”
Best Cinematography: Stephane Fontaine, “A Prophet”
Best Film Editing: Juliette Welfling, “A Prophet”
Best Art Direction: Michel Barthelemy, “A Prophet”
Best Costume Design: Catherine Leterrier, “Coco Before Chanel”
Best Sound: “The Concert”
Films in Focus 
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