The #1 criterion for the inclusion of individual cinematographers to be featured in this tribute series was the lack of an Oscar Best Cineatography nomination to date. One suspects that today's post might be one of the quickest to go out of date, as today's focus in on Yorick le Saux. Back in the '90s, by just his third feature film he was working with Francois Ozon on his seminal New French Extremity flick Sitcom. They'd soon collaborate on a significant international breakthrough for both director and cinematographer - 2003's Swimming Pool. And from then on it's been a gorgeous gravy train of sumptuous cinematography from le Saux across some of the 20th Century's most acclaimed an prestigious titles.
He's worked with Olivier Assayas, Jim Jarmusch, Claire Denis, Luca Guadagnino and Greta Gerwig. He's shot Tilda Swinton, Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Penelope Cruz, Meryl Streep, Gerard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling, Ralph Fiennes, John Hurt, Laura Dern... He's had several titles compete in competition at Cannes, and one recently receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination in Little Women. Awards bodies have here and there been savvy to his talent, but not yet the Academy, so he fulfils that #1 criterion. Criterion #2 is to be brilliant, which he fulfils, surpasses, and rather puts to utter disgrace. No-one captures the inimitable beauty of luxury and style - the elegance of interior decoration, the textures and movements of fabrics, the quality of different light sources on different items of furniture - like le Saux, and his catalogue proves him more than capable of expanding his style with impressive ease. Just see how he handled the leap from High Life (plus the added burden of filling in for Denis' almost strictly regular DP and cinematography genius herself, Agnes Godard) to Non-Fiction in 2018. And now that he's on everyone's radar - Academy included - it's surely just a matter of time before criterion #1 is swiftly and deservedly ripped from Yorick le Saux. Check the above original montage out for proof of quite why!
Films featured
Sitcom, 1998
Swimming Pool, 2003
A Curtain Raiser, 2006
Boarding Gate, 2007
Julia, 2008
I Am Love, 2009
Carlos, 2010
Arbitrage, 2012
Personal Shopper, 2016
High Life, 2018
Little Women, 2019