6 Best César Award Best Film Winners

By Vlad Zakh · March 28, 2026

France’s Cesar honors tend to go to films that audiences actually love. Portrait of a Lady on Fire has a painter falling for her subject, The Artist watches a silent star fall as talkies rise, and Amelie sends a whimsical Parisian waitress off to quietly improve other people’s lives. The Chorus, Cyrano de Bergerac and The Last Metro round out the six.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 98% Metacritic 95

A painter commissioned to secretly capture a reluctant bride-to-be falls for her instead.

Directed by Céline Sciamma · 2h 01m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award59 wins & 155 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Artist (2011)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 95% Metacritic 89

A silent-era star's career collapses just as talkies make his young protegee a star.

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius · 1h 40m · Rated PG-13

Won 5 Oscars162 wins & 204 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Chorus (2004)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A struggling music teacher turns around a boarding school of troubled boys through the power of choir.

Directed by Christophe Barratier · 1h 37m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Amelie (2001)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 90% Metacritic 70

A whimsical Parisian waitress secretly arranges small acts of kindness for people around her.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet · 2h 02m · Rated R

Nominated for 5 Oscars60 wins & 74 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A brilliant but insecure poet and swordsman helps a handsome friend win the woman he secretly loves.

Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau · 2h 17m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Last Metro (1980)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A Parisian theatre director hides her Jewish husband in the basement while running the show without him.

Directed by François Truffaut · 2h 11m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best César Award Best Film Winners

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

The Artist (2011)

The Chorus (2004)

Amelie (2001)

Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)

The Last Metro (1980)

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