Benoît Magimel received the César for Best Actor this evening for his role in “Pacification”. He thus becomes the first actor to win the trophy two consecutive years in this category.
In the United States, Tom Hanks or Katharine Hepburn have produced an extremely rare back-to-back at the Oscars, in 1993-1994 (Philadelphia/Forrest Gump) and 1967-1968 (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner/The Lion in Winter). In France, the double had never materialized in the two queen categories Best actress and Best actor (Marie-France Pisier and Nathalie Baye did it as Supporting role, respectively in 1976/1977 and in 1981/1982) .
Until Friday, February 24 and the 48th Cesar ceremony, which saw Benoît Magimel win the César for Best Actor for Pacifiction – Torment on the Islands, a year after receiving the statuette for In his lifetime. In front of Albert Serra’s camera, in a demanding and experiential work, he portrays the High Commissioner of the Republic of the island of Tahiti, an elusive and mysterious character who spawns between the powerful, the military and the local population to take the pulse of the archipelago and anticipate crises.
In the role of this colossus of sand, Benoît Magimel, august deprived of a throne, is beyond all praise.
Pacifiction confirms the singular position of Magimel in the field of contemporary French cinema
This inhabited and hypnotic performance, acclaimed in May 2022 at Cannes where the film was presented in Competition, confirms Benoît Magimel’s status on the French cinematographic scene and his return to favor since his César for Best Supporting Actor for La Tête haute in 2016. With this award, the actor joins the double-Caesarized club as Best Actor: Philippe Noiret, Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Michel Bouquet, Mathieu Amalric. Michel Serrault has a list of three trophies in 1979, 1982 and 1996.
