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The Cesars Go to Riva, Trintignant, Haneke, 'Amour,' and Foreign Film 'Argo' UPDATED

Awards

A radiant red-robed Emmanuelle Riva accepted the Cesar for best actress Friday night at Paris's Théâtre du Châtelet for Michael Haneke's "Amour," which won five awards including best picture, director, original screenplay and best actor for Jean-Louis Trintignant. Haneke was in Los Angeles for Saturday's Indie Spirits and Sunday's Oscars, while Trintignant was in Brussels in a play, he told the audience via his son Vincent's cell phone: "Je suis tres content, merci beaucoup," he said. Kevin Costner accepted a Life Achievement Award--and seemed to fall asleep during Riva's long speech.

By Anne Thompson
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February 22, 2013 6:07 PM
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Interviews

A seamstress, poet and photographer, Emmanuelle Riva lives alone in Paris. She has enjoyed a long and happy career as a film actress, most notably starring at age 30 in Alain Resnais's 1959 drama "Hiroshima Mon Amour," and working in theater until 2001. "I liked the roles I had both on the stage and in cinema," she wrote me in an email. "My preference is for both. Going from one role to the other is a healthy exercise; no time for them to leave any mark on us. It is others who leave a mark on us. And I don't want to be a prisoner of any part, or to specialize in any genre. I don't want to cultivate my image (how boring!). I would rather always feel the freshness of something newly born."

By Anne Thompson
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February 17, 2013 7:26 PM
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Awards

On this week's Oscar Talk Podcast, Kris Tapley and I discuss live-action and documentary shorts as well as the documentary feature race. We look at the influence of last weekend's BAFTAs and USC Scripters Awards, and talk a few too-close-to-call categories: Steven Spielberg or Ang Lee for Best Director? Jennifer Lawrence or Emmanuelle Riva for Best Actress? Supporting actor, cinematography and production design are also in the mix.

By Anne Thompson
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February 15, 2013 12:00 PM
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News

Film Comment posted the "50 Best Undistributed Films of 2012," beginning with "Our Children" (Joachim Lafosse, Belgium/Luxembourg/France/Switzerland), followed by "Memories Look at Me" (Song Fang, China) and "First Cousin Once Removed" (Alan Berliner, U.S.). Read their full list here.

By Maggie Lange
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January 7, 2013 3:08 PM
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Awards

Always the last of the major film critics groups to weigh in, usually after the new year, the National Society of Film Critics has made its picks for 2012, led by much-lauded multiple winner "Amour."

By Anne Thompson
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January 5, 2013 4:15 PM
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Features

Octogenarian French acting legends Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva give stunning, energetic performances as a married couple facing the bitter end in Michael Haneke's critically lauded, multi-awarded "Amour." Below, a look at some of the classic films that put Trintignant and Riva on the map.