The Academy Awards is approaching. Traditionally, other award giving bodies are now starting to give their own awards for film. For film fans this is the start of speculations and award-watching because these early awards serve as a barometer for potential Academy Award nominees and winners.
Just today, the National Board of Review gave their awards and the results are quite interesting. I’ll let you see some of the choice nominations and awards for your benefit:
Best Film — NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Top Ten Films — (In alphabetical order) THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, ATONEMENT, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, THE BUCKET LIST, INTO THE WILD, JUNO, THE KITE RUNNER, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, MICHAEL CLAYTON, SWEENEY TODD
Best Foreign Film — THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Top Five Foreign Films — (In alphabetical order) 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS, THE BAND’S VISIT, THE COUNTERFEITERS, LA VIE EN ROSE, LUST, CAUTION
Top Five Documentaries — (In alphabetical order) DARFUR NOW, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, NANKING, TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE, TOOTS
Top Independent Films — (In alphabetical order) AWAY FROM HER, GREAT WORLD OF SOUND, HONEYDRIPPER, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, A MIGHTY HEART, THE NAMESAKE, ONCE, THE SAVAGES, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, WAITRESS
Best Actor — GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton
Best Actress — JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her
Best Supporting Actor — CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Best Supporting Actress — AMY RYAN, Gone Baby Gone
Best Ensemble Cast — NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor — EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress — ELLEN PAGE, Juno
Best Director — TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd
Best Directorial Debut — BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone
Best Adapted Screenplay — JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, No Country For Old Men
Best Original Screenplay — DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl
Best Documentary — BODY OF WAR
Best Animated Feature — RATATOUILLE
I am quite happy that Lust, Caution has been given some recognition. It is a beautiful film that deserves a wider audience. We’ll see in the coming months if these early winners will continue to build steam and momentum to the run-up to Academy Awards early next year