The bogus National Board of Review voted Aaron Sorkin‘s “The Social Network” Best Film of the year.
The NBR– a group of fans who pay $600 a year to belong and see films, and $600 a ticket for the annual gala–gave “Social Network” also Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay.
Not to go too off course, they included several poorly reviewed or just bad movies in their top 10, to satisfy the studios and their own personal needs. Included on that list were Sofia Coppola’s dreadful “Somewhere,” and Clint Eastwood‘s disappointing “Hereafter.” They even gave Coppola a special award for Filmmaking Achievement– Sofia Coppola for writing, directing, and producing “Somewhere.” This is beyond laughable.
Eastwood’s archivist, Jeanine Basinger, is on the NBR Board. Much as we love Clint, too, it’s a little hard to believe that no year passes without him getting something from the NBR.
According to the group’s federal tax filing, students at Wesleyan University, where Basinger teaches and the Eastwood archives kept, got $11,ooo in student grants last year.
The NBR gave nothing at all to some of the best reviewed films of the year: “Blue Valentine,” “127 Hours,” “Black Swan,” or “The Kids Are All Right.” They also chose for Best Actress Lesley Manville, a British actress from a very film, “Another Year.” They skipped over Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Nicole Kidman.
They named “Youth in Revolt” one of the best independent movies of the year. Hah! I can’t stop laughing. This was over all these other aforementioned titles.
The NBR awards are rarely an indicator of anything, and certainly not the Academy Awards. They also will have a lot of trouble getting press this year. Their awards banquet is the same night “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” officially opens on Broadway.
