Gallic show
It could be a glorious night in the Hollywood spotlight for France when the 84th Academy Awards are handed out, writes Saibal Chatterjee

Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo in Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist, a silent, black-and-white romance set in the early years of Hollywood. This French film is being pegged as the favourite for the Best Picture prize, besides nominations for the Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress

On the night of February 26, when the crème de la crème of Hollywood congregates at the Kodak Theatre for the 84th Academy Awards, the dominant accent could be distinctly French. In three of the principal Oscar categories — Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Actor — Gallic cinema personalities could be up on the stage delivering acceptance speeches.

Barring a few inevitable late twists in the plot, the script for the Academy Awards has been written. French director Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist, a silent, black and white romance set in the early years of Hollywood, is the favourite to take the Best Picture prize. What a night it would be for the Paris-based filmmaker!

It would be a major triumph for The Artist because it is up against outstanding films helmed by American movie icons like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen and Terrence Malick, besides three-time Oscar-nominated British director Stephen Daldry.

Giving stiff competition to Hazanavicius for the Best Directing Oscar is Alexander Payne for his The Descendants, which also sees George Clooney in the running for the Best Actor nomination

Hazanavicius, who was, in late January, named the best feature film director of the year by the Directors Guild of America, is also in the running for a Best Directing Oscar.

In this prized category, his competitors are Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Scorsese (Hugo), Allen (Midnight in Paris) and Malick (The Tree of Life). But he is the frontrunner here as well although the chance of one of the others, especially Payne, pulling off an upset cannot be ruled out.

The French filmmaker isn’t the only Gallic name in the Academy Awards race this year. The two stars of his film — Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo — have also earned nominations, the former for Best Actor; the latter for Best Supporting Actress.

Dujardin, who is France’s highest paid actor, goes head to head with George Clooney of The Descendants. Also in contention are Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Mexican actor Demian Bichir, a surprise nominee for his role as an immigrant struggling to keep out of trouble in A Better Life.

Viola Davis (right) and Octavia Spencer have been nominated in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories for their roles in The Help

Unless the Academy members are swayed by sentiment and vote for the formidable Gary Oldman, nominated for an Oscar for the first time in his sterling career, it will be a two-horse race between Dujardin and Clooney — by far the most intriguing of the contests on Oscar night.

If Dujardin gets the better of Clooney, he will become the first French actor to win an Oscar. Actors from his country — Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer and Gerard Depardieu — were nominated on four occasions in the past only to go empty-handed.

On the distaff side, however, French screen performers have won Oscars before, the most recent being Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose in 2007. The first French actress to win an Academy Award was Simone Signoret for her work in 1959s Room at the Top.

A still from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the film which has given Gary Oldman his first Oscar nomination

Just a few notches below the Best Actor race in terms of intensity will be the one in the Best Actress category. Meryl Streep has landed her 17th Oscar nomination for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady and looks all but certain to take home the Oscar. Her last win was all of 30 years ago for Sophie’s Choice, so the Academy voters might just tilt the balance in her favour.

The only actress who could realistically be in Streep’s way is Viola Davis of The Help. The buzz is rising in her favour and she could script the night’s most noteworthy upset. If she does, Davis will be instrumental in setting a record not for herself but for co-contender Glenn Close.

Nominated for Albert Nobbs, Close is yet to win an Oscar despite being in the running as many as five times in the past. If she loses yet again, the veteran actress will equal Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter’s record of being nominated six times without scoring a win.

Nominated for Albert Nobbs, Glenn Close is yet to win an Oscar despite being in the reckoning as many as five times in the past

The huge shocker in the Best Actress category has been the snub to Tilda Swinton (We Need to talk about Kevin) and Kirsten Dunst (Lars Von Trier’s evocative Melancholia). Besides Streep, Davis and Close, the nominees in the Best Actress category are Rooney Mara for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn.

All eyes will also be on who wins the Best Supporting Actress prize. If Octavia Spencer emerges on top, history could be made. It will be the first time that two African American actresses will win two acting nods for the same film (The Help).

Besides Berenice Bejo in The Artist, Spencer is competing with Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs). As things stand, she has it all sewn up.

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