National Board of Review Awards

   

SERIES: Hollywood Guild Awards and Oscars®

This new series is to document, compare and discuss the nominations of the film industry guilds. This is the first year I am publishing how I analyze the various awards and pick my Oscar® choices.

The members of the movie industry guilds are also voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS®, which produces the Academy Awards®. Most of the major guilds have nominated, and some have named the recipients. Want to actually pick the winners this year? Then, I suggest you follow this series.

The National Board of Review (NBRMP) is not a guild, but an independent board of review. Although the general public knows little of this award, it is the oldest of the major motion picture awards, and a most prestigious award, established in 1909. That's why I am opening this new series with the NBRMP.

The awards were announced earlier, and they will be presented at the annual dinner to be held tomorrow, Tuesday, 12 January, at Cipriani on 42nd Street, New York City.

They named UP IN THE AIR, directed by Jason Reitman, and starring George Clooney, as Best Film of 2009. The French film, Un prophète (A PROPHET) by writer/director Jacques Audiard, will receive the best foreign language film award, and THE COVE the best documentary.

Their other awards may be beacons shinning on the possible Oscar winners - -

Top Ten Films: (In alphabetical order) AN EDUCATION, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, INVICTUS, THE MESSENGER, A SERIOUS MAN, STAR TREK, UP, and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

Best Actor: George Clooney, UP IN THE AIR; Morgan Freeman, INVICTUS.
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION.
Best Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER.
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick, UP IN THE AIR.
Best Ensemble Cast: IT'S COMPLICATED.

Best Director: Clint Eastwood, INVICTUS.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, UP IN THE AIR; and Best Original Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, A SERIOUS MAN.

Best Animated Feature: UP.

Special Filmmaking Achievement: Wes Anderson for THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX.

To see all the NBRP awards, click the title of this post.