National Board of Review Top 10 of 2008 - announced!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 12:01pm

Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Foreign Language Film: Mongol
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Animated Feature: Wall-E
Best Ensemble Cast: Doubt
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Best Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Best Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, Gran Torino
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire and Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, Frozen River and Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: Trumbo

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

Top Five Foreign Language Films:
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

Updated On: 12/4/08 at 12:01 PM

[wexy]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:28pm

Tease...

[pli1018]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:34pm

My screenwriting teacher is on the NBR and he already told us what he assumes will be the top 10. Kind of expected is all I will say.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:36pm

My predictions:

1) Frost/Nixon
2) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3) Doubt
4) Slumdog Millionaire
5) Milk
6) Wall-E
7) Revolutionary Road
8] Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
9) The Wrestler
10) The Duchess

Updated On: 12/4/08 at 01:36 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:36pm

I think we can all pretty much guess what the majority will be. I wonder if there are any surprises.

[Dein Herr]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:39pm

You Don't Mess With the Zohan FTW!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:52pm

What a tease! When are they coming out?

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:59pm

Great list, Capn. I bet you're right!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 1:59pm

Can you put "TBA" or something like that in the thread title so more people don't get all excited thinking the thread already contains the results.

Because I did. And opening the thread was quite the let-down.

ETA: And I really like your predictions. I forgot all about MISS PETTIGREW. Loved that film. I hope McDormand gets a Golden Globe nod for it.

Updated On: 12/4/08 at 01:59 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 2:01pm

There may be some surprises. The NBR tends to give unusual awards. Last year Clooney won Best Actor for that MICHAEL CLAYTON thing, and THERE WILL BE BLOOD was completely shut out of NBR awards.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 2:53pm

Here's a leaked list. NBR has not published this on their website, found it as a scoop on some website.

Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Foreign Language Film: Mongol
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Animated Feature: Wall-E
Best Ensemble Cast: Doubt
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Best Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Best Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, Gran Torino
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire and Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, Frozen River and Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: Trumbo

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

Top Five Foreign Language Films:
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

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 2:54pm

Top 10 films, in ABC order:

* Burn after Reading
* Changeling
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* Defiance
* Frost/Nixon
* Gran Torino
* Milk
* WALL•E
* The Wrestler

Best Film - Slumdog Millionaire

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

Best Actor: CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress: ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor: JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress: PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Foreign Language Film: Mongol

Best Documentary: Man on Wire

Best Animated Feature: WALL•E

Best Ensemble Cast: Doubt

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Directorial Debut: COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Original Screenplay: NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Adapted Screenplay: SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

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

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: Trumbo

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/slumdog-millionaire-takes-national-board-of-review-best-film-kudos

[Roscoe]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 3:03pm

LOL -- CLINT EASTWOOD as Best Actor!! ROFLMAO!!

Posted: 12/4/08 at 3:19pm

Remember when Ain't It Cool scooped everyone with the list of Oscar Nominees? Except it wasn't?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 3:23pm

From the NBR website:

Best Film
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Top Ten Films
(In alphabetical order) BURN AFTER READING, CHANGELING, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE DARK KNIGHT, DEFIANCE, FROST/NIXON, GRAN TORINO, MILK, WALL-E, THE WRESTLER

Best Foreign Language Film
MONGOL

Top Five Foreign Films
(In alphabetical order) EDGE OF HEAVEN, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, ROMAN DE GARE, A SECRET, WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Best Documentary
MAN ON WIRE

Top Five Documentaries
(In alphabetical order) AMERICAN TEEN, THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON), DEAR ZACHARY, ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Top Independent Films
(In alphabetical order) FROZEN RIVER, IN BRUGES, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS, MR. FOE, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, SNOW ANGELS, SON OF RAMBOW, WENDY AND LUCY, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE VISITOR

Best Actor
CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress
ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor
JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress
PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Ensemble Cast
DOUBT

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Director
DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Directorial Debut
COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Adapted Screenplay
SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

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

Best Original Screenplay
NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Animated Feature
WALL-E

William K. Everson Award For Film History
MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression
TRUMBO

Still ROFLMAO over the ongoing delusion that Clint Eastwood can act.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 3:25pm

Mongol was nominated for an Oscar last year.

As far as Clint goes, they say he's great in Gran Tourino, and of course he'll get an Oscar nom, but best actor? Really?
Over Langella or Penn?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 3:36pm

The Eastwood pick nails the ham sandwich aspect of this list. It's stupifying to think he would pull this award. I'm a fan -- of his directing (CHANGELING aside), but think he's limited as an actor. (Though I think he would've been better in IRONWEED, say opposite Cloris Leachman, rather than Nicholson and Streep.)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 4:53pm

Plus, it's the f*cking NBR. Like they matter. It's a bunch of wanna-be's who create this society, host some dinner, and announce their pics. It's a formal club.

No offense to your teacher, pli1018.

The NBR is fine and dandy and I, as many do, pay attention to their choices. But people need to know the context for which these awards have been chosen.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 4:55pm

Could someone post the results, please?!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 5:12pm

I hope that was sarcastic.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 5:39pm

I expect to see Penelope Cruz win several awards for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I knew it was an award-winning preformance as soon as the end credits started rolling. It reminded me of watching Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain. She was the sole reason for even remembering the film.

[pli1018]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 5:59pm

Nope, no offense taken. I've been to a few NBR screenings and it's a very...set group of members. Not much diversity and for many of them it seems like just being on the NBR is more important than actually doing what they're there to do.

Apparently Clint's performance in Gran Torino blew the NBR away. My teacher pretty much guaranteed he get their Best Actor.

I'm surprised to see that Burn After Reading was on their top films. I'll be interested to see what my teacher has to say about that next week.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 6:30pm

No DOUBT? I wonder if this means anything for the campaign. Interesting that they picked Anne Hathaway for Best Actress. Some nice choices, some dull ones.

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 12/4/08 at 6:48pm

and isnt it technically a top 11 since the so called "best film" isn't listed in the top 10.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 12:02pm

Please. These are the same people who gave Uma Thurman's obnoxious New Yawk accent in HENRY AND JUNE an award. They're kind of lame.