Vincent Cassel wins Best Actor in France...

Vincent Cassel, one of the stars of the Oceans 12 and 13 movies, scooped the best actor prize at France's top Cesar film awards Friday for a role playing a notorious French gangster.

But his movie, "Mesrine", which went into the Cesars ceremony with nominations for 10 prizes, was brushed aside by "Seraphine", the story of a dowdy cleaning woman who has a secret life as an artist, which took seven awards including best French movie.

"Seraphine", directed by Martin Provost, also won the best actress Cesar for its Belgian star Yolande Moreau, best screenplay, best photography, best music, best decor and for its costumes.

Provost got the best film award from Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn.

The movie is the story of how a German art collector in France discovers that his cleaning lady, Seraphine, is a secret artist.

Cassel, now a leading bad boy in Hollywood as well in French movies, was the star of a violent film based on the life of infamous underworld figure of the 1970s Jacques Mesrine.

The movie also earned the best director award for Jean-Francois Richet.

"Waltz With Bashir", Ari Folman's animated documentary on the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon war, was named best foreign film, adding to its Golden Globe prize earlier this year.

American star Dustin Hoffman was given a special award for his life's work at the 34th Cesars ceremony.
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