National Board of Review: Winners and Reaction

So the NBR have just announced and, as ever, they've come up with a list of mind-numbing pearlers. Here are the winners:-

Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Not at all surprising. The film with the biggest buzz at the moment.

Best Director: DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Interesting. The NBR liked Button as we'll find out further down. I thought it might get shelved for some more conservative picks but apparently not.

Best Actor: CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. They like him too much.

Best Actress: ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

This is a BIG boost. Majorly competitive now in this category. For a nomination, anyway.

Best Supporting Actor: JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Franco has trumped him in the early nominees lists so this is great for him.

Best Supporting Actress: PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Not for Elegy? You sure? Lol. Pretty standard.

Best Foreign Language Film: MONGOL

Meh. Wasn't this nominated last year?

Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE

Fine. Not a shock.

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

Duh.

Best Ensemble Cast: DOUBT

Well this plus the Top Ten snub confirms what I thought. Acting noms but no BP.

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Making sure people remember these two, who each have supporting bids.

Best Directorial Debut: COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Ditto.

Best Original Screenplay: NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino
Best Adapted Screenplay: SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and
ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Boy did they like these three films.

Spotlight Award: MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and
RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

Seems to exist purely as a way to say, "We liked these Oscar. Don't snub them!"

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: TRUMBO

Top Five Foreign Language Films:
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

ROMAN DE GUERRE

A SECRET

WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Top Five Documentary Films

AMERICAN TEEN

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)

DEAR ZACHARY

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Top Ten Films:
BURN AFTER READING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
DEFIANCE
FROST/NIXON
GRAN TORINO
MILK
WALL-E
THE WRESTLER

Blows for Australia, Doubt, The Reader, and Revolutionary Road. Boosts for Defiance (even though it seemed likely cause of their previous Zwick love), Wall-E, and The Wrestler, which I didn't think would be their cup of tea but was wrong as usual. Burn After Reading is a good film, and it's probably a testament to the Coen Bros' outstanding popularity amongst awards bodies last year that this film has been remembered here.

Prediction Score: 5/10 or 6/11 and none of the winning Actors. Oh dear.