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“Her” Named Best Film of the Year by National Board of Review

her-joaquin-phoenix-3

Best Film:  HER
Best Director: Spike Jonze, HER
Best Actor: Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA
Best Actress: Emma Thompson, SAVING MR. BANKS
Best Supporting Actor: Will Forte, NEBRASKA
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, FRUITVALE STATION
Best Original Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
Best Adapted Screenplay: Terence Winter, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Best Animated Feature: THE WIND RISES
Breakthrough Performance: Michael B. Jordan, FRUITVALE STATION
Breakthrough Performance: Adele Exarchopoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Best Directorial Debut: Ryan Coogler, FRUITVALE STATION
Best Foreign Language Film:  THE PAST
Best Documentary: STORIES WE TELL
William K. Everson Film History Award: George Stevens, Jr.
Best Ensemble:  PRISONERS
Spotlight Award: Career Collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: WADJDA
Creative Innovation in Filmmaking Award: GRAVITY

Top Films
(in alphabetical order)

12 YEARS A SLAVE
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
LONE SURVIVOR
NEBRASKA
PRISONERS
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order)

BEYOND THE HILLS
GLORIA
THE GRANDMASTER
A HIJACKING
THE HUNT

Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order)

20 FEET FROM STARDOM
THE ACT OF KILLING
AFTER TILLER
CASTING BY
THE SQUARE

Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order)

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
IN A WORLD…
MOTHER OF GEORGE
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
MUD
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
SHORT TERM 12
SIGHTSEERS
THE SPECTACULAR NOW

“Zero Dark Thirty” Sweeps the National Board of Review

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Best Film:  ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED

Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Animated Feature: WRECK-IT RALPH

Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, ARGO

Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland, THE IMPOSSIBLE
Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis,  BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Directorial Debut: Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Foreign Language Film:  AMOUR

Best Documentary: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN

William K. Everson Film History Award: 50 YEARS OF BOND FILMS

Best Ensemble: LES MISÉRABLES

Spotlight Award: John Goodman (ARGO, FLIGHT, PARANORMAN, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE)

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: CENTRAL PARK FIVE

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: PROMISED LAND

 

Top Films

(in alphabetical order)

 

ARGO

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LES MISÉRABLES

LINCOLN

LOOPER

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

PROMISED LAND

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Top 5 Foreign Language Films

(In Alphabetical Order)

 

BARBARA

THE INTOUCHABLES

THE KID WITH A BIKE

NO

WAR WITCH

 

Top 5 Documentaries

(In Alphabetical Order)

 

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

DETROPIA

THE GATEKEEPERS

THE INVISIBLE WAR

ONLY THE YOUNG

 

Top 10 Independent Films

(In Alphabetical Order)

ARBITRAGE

BERNIE

COMPLIANCE

END OF WATCH

HELLO I MUST BE GOING

LITTLE BIRDS

MOONRISE KINGDOM

ON THE ROAD

QUARTET

SLEEPWALK WITH ME

Scorsese’s “Hugo” Named Best Film of the Year by the National Board of Review

I very rarely agree 100% with the NBR, but this year’s list is pretty decent, though I still need to see a handful of their choices.. They always include Eastwood, no matter what the consensus is on his films, though. I still haven’t seen J. Edgar, so I can’t comment just yet. I’m happy to see Drive on their list, but a little miffed to see the final Harry Potter on there, because from a stand-alone film point-of-view it failed miserably.

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The National Board of Review – Awards Season is Officially Open

Like I said on my earlier post, winning at the NBR doesn’t necessarily mean winning come Oscar night. But it does help jump-start a film or a performance into the race and often is a good look at what the nominees could look like.

For example, Winter’s Bone‘s inclusion on their Top Ten list is a big push for a little film. So is Jennifer Lawrence’s win for Breakthrough Performance. Last year the NBR gave that award to two performances: Gabby Sidibe in Precious and Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker. Both performances wound up with Academy Award nominations.

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Jesse Eisenberg Named Best Actor of the Year By The National Board of Review

The National Board of Review is one of the first major precursors of the Awards Season. While their winners don’t necessarily go on to win the Oscar, they almost always get nominated. So at the very least, these awards are a good look at some solid performances, and films, that will probably be receiving an Oscar nomination in a few months.

Full list after the cut (updated as the winners are announced)

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