National Board of Review Wants to Be Your Facebook Friend

Is that what they call it on facebook? I'm not on. I think I should join as that would surely be the end of it. Nevertheless, this looks to be the beginning of a streak!

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW 2010 WINNERS:

BEST FILM: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST DIRECTOR: DAVID FINCHER, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST ACTOR: JESSE EISENBERG, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST ACTRESS: LESLEY MANVILLE, ANOTHER YEAR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: CHRISTIAN BALE, THE FIGHTER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: JACKI WEAVER, ANIMAL KINGDOM
BEST FOREIGN FILM: OF GODS AND MEN
BEST DOCUMENTARY: WAITING FOR SUPERMAN
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: TOY STORY 3
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: THE TOWN
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: JENNIFER LAWRENCE, WINTER'S BONE
SPOTLIGHT AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT: SEBASTIAN JUNGER & TIM HETHERINGTON, RESTREPO
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: CHRIS SPARLING, BURIED
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: AARON SORKIN, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
SPECIAL FILMMAKING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: SOFIA COPPOLA - for writing, directing and producing SOMEWHERE
WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD: LEONARD MALTIN
NBR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:
CONVICTION
FAIR GAME
HOWL

TOP FILMS OF THE YEAR:
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
HEREAFTER
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
SHUTTER ISLAND
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE TOWN
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
WINTER'S BONE

TOP INDEPENDENT FILMS:
ANIMAL KINGDOM
BURIED
FISH TANK
THE GHOST WRITER
GREENBURG
LET ME IN
MONSTERS
PLEASE GIVE
SOMEWHERE
YOUTH IN REVOLT

TOP FOREIGN FILMS:
I AM LOVE
INCENDIES
LIFE, ABOVE ALL
OF GODS AND MEN
SOUL KITCHEN
WHITE MATERIAL

TOP SIX DOCUMENTARY FILMS:
A FILM UNFINISHED
INSIDE JOB
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
RESTREPO
THE TILMAN STORY
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN


Thoughts:

As aforementioned, The Social Network will probably sweep the critics awards. And Winter's Bone continues to get mentions. I do wonder how many 'Breakthrough' Awards Jennifer will be given, as opposed to winning Best Actress. It's an easy, if old, way of giving two actresses the Best award. Manville AND Weaver is a surprise, as this group usually prefers to fill its party with easily recognized celebs. The major shocks were the total snubbings of Black Swan and 127 Hours (both Fox Searchlight), The Kids Are All Right and Rabbit Hole. Kids and Swan both seemed up their alley given their queer leanings. And Buried getting screenplay? And no male breakthrough. Other than that, this was NBR as usual: Eastwood gets thrown a bone and films from Warner Bros pervade the list. 4 of their top films are from the studio.

As far as the Oscar race, Manville is now, well, I won't say locked. But she's close to it. The past 20 Best Actress winners from NBR have all gotten Oscar nominations. The Best Actress race looks to be Bening, Kidman, Lawrence, Manville and Portman. The remaining acting categories are a bit more fluid.