Jessica Chastain takes the Best Actress race lead.
What an interesting list from the National Board of Review. Just some thoughts on it before the whole list:
- “Zero Dark Thirty” is now clearly the frontrunner for Best Picture.
- Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty” has stolen the best actress thunder from Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook.”
- Speaking of “Silver Linings,” surprise best actor win for Bradley Cooper. I think most people have thought that Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaqim Phoenix were going to slug it out all season, and Cooper would fall into the “happy just to be nominated” category. I don’t know if many other groups will pick him, but it must feel pretty good to find out you were chosen over Daniel Day-Lewis in anything.
- Surprise original screenplay win–not that it’s bad to see “Looper get the win (hey, time travel writing is tricky), but I think many have felt this would be the Wes Anderson award. Good for you, Mr. Johnson.
- Great supporting actor wins. Leo wins as the bad guy, and Ann Dowd, after years of slogging through the Hollywood trenches as a quietly professional character actress steals one in the challenging indie “Compliance.”
- Nice best ensemble win for “Les Miserables.”
- Great special awards for Ben Affleck and John Goodman.
Now the list
National Board of Review Awards
Best Film: ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE
Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER
Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Best Animated Feature: WRECK-IT RALPH
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, ARGO
Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland, THE IMPOSSIBLE
Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Best Directorial Debut: Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Best Foreign Language Film: AMOUR
Best Documentary: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
William K. Everson Film History Award: 50 YEARS OF BOND FILMS
Best Ensemble: LES MISÉRABLES
Spotlight Award: John Goodman (ARGO, FLIGHT, PARANORMAN, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE)
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: CENTRAL PARK FIVE
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: PROMISED LAND
Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISÉRABLES
LINCOLN
LOOPER
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
PROMISED LAND
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
BARBARA
THE INTOUCHABLES
THE KID WITH A BIKE
NO
WAR WITCH
Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order)
AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY
DETROPIA
THE GATEKEEPERS
THE INVISIBLE WAR
ONLY THE YOUNG
Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
ARBITRAGE
BERNIE
COMPLIANCE
END OF WATCH
HELLO I MUST BE GOING
LITTLE BIRDS
MOONRISE KINGDOM
ON THE ROAD
QUARTET
SLEEPWALK WITH ME
