I don’t usually put a lot of stock into awards seasons races. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Oscars but usually the films that are selected aren’t always my cup of tea. However I do have to hand it to the National Board of Review for thinking outside the box today with it’s awards announcement. While The Social Network won Best Picture as expected, Jesse Eisenberg beat Colin Firth and James Franco for Best Actor. The film received two more wins as David Fincher collected the Best Director prize and Aaron Sorkin took home Best Adapted Screenplay. Lesley Manville of Another Year took home Best Actress while Jacki Weaver took home Best Supporting Actress for her chilling performance in Animal Kingdom. Christian Bale picked up the Best Supporting Actor prize for his performance in The Fighter.
However the biggest shocker is in Best Original Screenplay which was expected to go to Christopher Nolan for Inception. Instead it went to Chris Sparling for Buried, a film that was thought to be dead but now has a shot in the arm. Overall these awards were really interesting and while I might not agree with all of them, it is nice to see the National Board of Review thinking outside the box for once.
Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Best Foreign Language Film: Of Gods and Men
Best Documentary: Waiting for “Superman”
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Ensemble Cast: The Town
Breakthrough Performance: Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Debut Directors: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, Restrepo
Spotlight Award: Sylvain Chomet and Jacques Tati, The Illusionist
Best Original Screenplay: Chris Sparling, Buried
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Special Filmmaking Achievement Award: Sofia Coppola for writing, directing, and producing Somewhere
William K. Everson Film History Award: Leonard Maltin
NBR Freedom of Expression: Fair Game, Conviction, Howl
Production Design Award: Dante Ferretti, Shutter Island
Ten Best Films
(in alphabetical order)
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King’s Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s BoneFive Best Foreign-Language Films
(in alphabetical order)
I Am Love
Incendies
Life, Above All
Soul Kitchen
White MaterialFive Best Documentaries
(in alphabetical order)
A Film Unfinished
Inside Job
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
The Tillman StoryTop Ten Independent Films
(in alphabetical order)
Animal Kingdom
Buried
Fish Tank
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
Let Me In
Monsters
Please Give
Somewhere
Youth in Revolt