Yesterday, the National Board of Review (NBR) announced their choices for their annual awards, which tend to be the first real awards of the coming Oscar season, and though their choices don't always align with those of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, there's always some connection in terms of their choices being at least a part of the race if not always the winners.
This year, the NBR spread the wealth, picking Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country for Old Men as their Best Picture and awarding it for its adapted screenplay, but then giving other awards to other films and performances. Tim Burton was bestowed with their Best Director award for Sweeney Todd but neither movie was considered worthy for their performances as their Actor and Actress awards were given to George Clooney for playing Michael Clayton and Julie Christie for Sarah Polley's Away from Her, probably the biggest surprise since many thought that Marion Cotillard had this award in the bag for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.
Casey Affleck and Amy Ryan took the Supporting honors, Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James and Ryan for Gone Baby Gone, the former also somewhat surprising due to the NBR's support for No Country for Old Men. Foreign film was given to Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and animated to Pixar's Ratatouille, no surprise there.
You can read the press release containing the full line-up of the NBR's picks including their Top 10 after the jump.
New York, NY - December 5th, 2007 - The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN the 2007 Best Film of the Year. Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, released by Miramax and Paramount Vantage on November 21st, the film is based on Cormac McCarthy's novel. It simultaneously strips down the American crime drama and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible, and as bloodily contemporary as this morning's headlines.
For Best Actor and Actress of 2007, the NBR honors two artists whose performances were truly outstanding. The 2007 Best Actor, GEORGE CLOONEY, was selected for his performance in the title role of Michael Clayton. For the 2007 Best Actress honor, the NBR has selected JULIE CHRISTIE for her performance in Away From Her.
Below is a full list of the awards given by the National Board of Review:
Best Film: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Best Director: TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd
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 Foreign Film: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Best Documentary: BODY OF WAR
Best Animated Feature: RATATOUILLE
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 Directorial Debut: BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone
Best Original Screenplay (tie):
DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl
Best Adapted Screenplay: JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, 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
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 Documentary Films
(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 MIGHT HEART
THE NAMESAKE
ONCE
THE SAVAGES
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING
WAITRESS
Career Achievement - MICHAEL DOUGLAS
William K. Everson Film History Award - ROBERT OSBORNE
Career Achievement in Cinematography - ROGER DEAKINS
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression - THE GREAT DEBATERS and PERSEPOLIS
