The National Board of Review (er, fans) announced its awards just now–who cares? They named Martin Scorsese Best Director for “Hugo” and the film got Best Film. gave George Clooney Best Actor for “The Descendants,” which also got Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
The NBR loves George Clooney more than their own little lunches, and will give him something if he’s breathing. This is his third Best Actor nod from them in the last five years. So be it! They also named “The Ides of March” one of their ten Best Pictures. They gave Stacey Keibler an award for Best Girlfriend of a Star, too. (Just kidding.)
Tilda Swinton is their off beat choice for Best Actress. Christopher Plummer is Best Supporting Actor for “Beginners.” The “Harry Potter” series got a special award because the NBR loves Warner Bros. Similarly, Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” made their top ten list.
Between Paramount (Hugo, Rango) and Fox Searchlight (Descendants, Shame), the NBR must have calculated which studio would pony up for the most tables. And they were precluded from giving awards to “The Artist,” Meryl Streep or Brad Pitt because the New York Film Critics beat them to it. Ha ha.
Listen, I really like Tilda Swinton. But if the NBR had wanted to do something different and meaningful, they would have given Best Actress to Viola Davis for “The Help.” But you know, they’re the group that snubbed “Precious.” So “The Help” gets Best Ensemble, which includes everyone and guarantees Disney will buy a table.
Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book
to Film
Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
Tree of Life
War Horse
Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
13 Assassins
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Footnote
Le Havre
Point Blank
Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order)
Born to be Wild
Buck
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna
Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
50/50
Another Earth
Beginners
A Better Life
Cedar Rapids
Margin Call
Shame
Take Shelter
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Win Win
