Gallic Cesar Awards hail 'Harry,' 'Taste'

Both pics have been popular with French filmgoers

Sogecable posts profit for first time since '97

PARIS -- France's 26th Cesar Awards ceremony on Saturday showered honors on Agnes Jaoui's directorial debut, Oscar nominated "The Taste of Others," and Dominik Moll's second film, "With a Friend Like Harry," in lieu of the work of more established filmmakers.

"Taste" picked up four Cesars -- for best film, screenplay (Jaoui and Jean Pierre Bacri), supporting actress (Anne Alvaro) and supporting actor (Gerard Lanvin).

"Harry" also came away with four awards -- best director (Moll), actor (Sergi Lopez), editing and sound.

Both films had been widely tipped to clean up at the Cesars, having been nominated in nine categories each. Both have also been immensely successful with French filmgoers. With 3.7 million tickets sold last year, "Taste," produced by Charles Gassot, was the most successful French film after "Taxi 2" (more than 10 million). "Harry" ranked fifth with 1.8 million.

Although "Taste" is Jaoui's first directorial effort, she and real-life partner Bacri are no strangers to the Cesars, having received screenplay nods for Alain Resnais' "Smoking No Smoking" in 1994, "Family Resemblances" (co-written with director Cedric Clapisch) in 1997 and Resnais' "Same Old Song" in 1998.

In a star-studded ceremony over which Daniel Auteuil presided at Paris' Champs Elysees Theater, the best actress nod, the other big award of the night, eluded nominees including Juliette Binoche ("The Widow of St. Pierre") and Emmanuelle Beart ("Sentimental Destinies") and went instead to Dominique Blanc for another first film, Roch Stephanik's "Stand-By."

In the foreign film category, "American Beauty," "Billy Elliot" and "Yi Yi (A One and a Two)" lost out to Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love."

Honorary Cesars were presented to Charlotte Rampling, on French screens in Francois Ozon's "Under the Sand," Agnes Varda and veteran actor Darry Cowl.

Most promising young actress went to Sylvie Testud for Jean-Pierre Denis' "Murderous Maids;" most promising young actor to Jalil Lespert for "Human Resources," which also picked up best first film for director Laurent Cantet.

A batch of big-budget French movies were the night's big losers. Olivier Assayas' "Sentimental Destinies," Patrice Leconte's "The Widow of St. Pierre" and Benoit Jacquot's "Sade" went away empty handed, as did Mathieu Kassovitz' "The Crimson Rivers." Roland Joffe's "Vatel" won best decor for the work of Jean Rabasse; Patricia Mazuy's "St. Cyr," nominated in eight categories, picked up only the costumes nod for Edith Verperini and Jean-Daniel Vuillermoz.

And the winners are...

FILM

Agnes Jaoui's "The Taste of Others"

DIRECTOR

Dominik Moll, "With a Friend like Harry"

ACTRESS

Dominique Blanc, "Stand-By"

ACTOR

Sergi Lopez, "With a Friend Like Harry"

FOREIGN FILM

"In the Mood for Love," Wong Kar-wai

SUPPORTING ACTRESS