Riva stands alone for French Oscar
85-year-old up for Best Actress in Amour - as Cotillard and Intouchables are both left out
AFTER grabbing the lion's share of the honours at last year's Oscars with The Artist, France has to be content this year with just one main contender, Emmanuelle Riva, nominated for Best Actress in Michael Haneke's Amour.
This year's nominations for the February 24 Hollywood ceremony are a major blow for Marion Cotillard who was widely tipped to win her second Best Actress award for her efforts in De Rouille et d’Os. It is also a big disappointment for Les Intouchables which had been tipped as a possible for Best Foreign Language Film.
As the oldest nominee, 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva goes head-to-head with the youngest nominee, nine-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who filmed Beasts of the Southern Wild at the age of just six.
It is Riva's first nomination and if she wins she will become the oldest performance Oscar winner - beating Christopher Plummer who won Best Supporting Actor at the age of 82 - on her 86th birthday.
Co-produced in France and Austria, the French-language 2012 Cannes Palme d'Or winner Amour is up for four other awards including Best Film and Best Director for Michael Haneke.
France could also claim some credit for the screen adaptation of the musical Les Miserables, based on Victor Hugo, with eight nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway.
The stand-out title on the list of nominees is Steven Spielberg's Lincoln which is listed in 12 categories, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Photo: © Les Films du Losange
