Well, the NBR announced their top ten films and award winners this morning and they made some...interesting choices to say the least. The biggest thing they've done is boost the visibility of A Most Violent Year by naming it in the Best Film, Actor and Supporting Actress categories. Maybe that will help voters to actually see the tiny independent movie from a brand new studio (A24) that's not coming out until Dec 31st- but it's still an uphill battle on that one. Some of their other choices are pretty nutty as well.
Best Film: A Most Violent Year
Best Director: Clint Eastwood – American Sniper
Best Actor (TIE): Oscar Isaac – A Most Violent Year; Michael Keaton – Birdman
Best Actress: Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton – Birdman
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Best Original Screenplay: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller – The Lego Movie
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson – Inherent Vice
Best Animated Feature: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Breakthrough Performance: Jack O’Connell – Starred Up & Unbroken
Best Directorial Debut: Gillian Robespierre – Obvious Child
Best Foreign Language Film: Wild Tales
Best Documentary: Life Itself
William K. Everson Film History Award: Scott Eyman
Best Ensemble: Fury
Spotlight Award: Chris Rock for writing, directing, and starring in – Top Five
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Rosewater
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Selma
Lego Movie for best screenplay? Fury for ensemble? Clint Eastwood for Director for the tepidly received American Sniper? I'm actually glad that Boyhood doesn't look to be performing a sweep of the critics awards, but most of the NBR's choices look too out there to influence anything this year anyway. They also put out a list of the top ten films of the year besides their Picture winner, so here they are:
Top 10 Films of 2014
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Fury
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Lego Movie
Nightcrawler
Unbroken
What I will say about those choices is that it's interesting that Selma didn't make the cut. Most eventual Best Picture Oscar winners are at least named on NBR's Top Ten, so that doesn't bode all that well for those thinking it might have had a chance to go all the way. And how exactly does The Lego Movie win best original screenplay and make their top ten of the year, but not win animated film? Here are the rest of their lists for 2014:
Top Ten Independent Films
Blue Ruin
Locke
A Most Wanted Man
Mr. Turner
Obvious Child
The Skeleton Twins
Snowpiercer
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
Starred Up
Still Alice
Top 5 Foreign Language Films
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem
Leviathan
Two Days, One Night
We Are the Best!
Top 5 Documentaries
Art and Craft
Jorodowsky's Dune
Keep On Keepin' On
The Kill Team
Last Days in Vietnam
