The National Board of Review, a group I’ve chastised in the past for a variety of issues, has followed the New York Film Critics Circle this year almost to the finish.
The NBR — run by a woman named Annie Schulhof — has named Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” as Best Picture. They’ve given Best Director to Scorsese and Best Actress to Lily Gladstone.
With these wins, “Killers” is quickly advancing toward the Oscars.
Paul Giamatti was named Best Actor for “The Holdovers.” The NBR pretty much ignored Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
In keeping with previous years the group also mostly snubbed the so called Black films of the year. As usual, they threw Breakthrough Performance to two Black actresses, respectively Teyana Taylor and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. That covered them.
To make up for dissing Cooper, they gave him an Icon Award, whatever that means.
“Killers” deserves all its accolades certainly. But the NBR is about money and its gala. The group — made up of fans — charges members huge annual fees and even more for tickets to the gala. Schulhof no doubt sees herself taking a big bite of the Apple, which released “Killers.” They’ll buy many tables and bring their cast to Cipriani 42nd Street. Well played!
Best Film
Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best Actress
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
NBR Icon Award
Bradley Cooper
Best Original Screenplay
David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Best Adapted Screenplay
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Breakthrough Performance
Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One
Best Directorial Debut
Celine Song, Past Lives
Best Animated Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best International Film
Anatomy of a Fall
Best Documentary
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Best Ensemble
The Iron Claw
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry
Director Chad Stahelski and Stunt Coordinators Stephen Dunlevy & Scott Rogers, John Wick: Chapter 4
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie & Killers of the Flower Moon
Top Films (in alphabetical order)
Barbie
The Boy and the Heron
Ferrari
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order)
La Chimera
Fallen Leaves
The Teachers’ Lounge
Tótem
The Zone of Interest
Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
20 Days in Mariupol
32 Sounds
The Eternal Memory
The Pigeon Tunnel
A Still Small Voice
Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
All of Us Strangers
BlackBerry
Earth Mama
Flora and Son
The Persian Version
Scrapper
Showing Up
Theater Camp
A Thousand and One
