The National Board of Review has selected as their best picture of the year. The film won its second best picture award in a row after being selected by the New York Film Critics yesterday. The victory essentially puts it at the forefront of the mounting Oscar race.
Kathryn Bigelow went home with the best director award while Jessica Chastain took home the best actress award for her role in the film. Silver Linings Playbook, which was billed as the early favorite for Best Picture, settled for two awards: Best Actor Bradley Cooper and Best Adpated Screenplay.
The surprises were Leonardo Dicaprio who won the supporting actor category for his role in Django Unchained and Ann Dowd who won the supporting Actress category for her role in Compliance. Looper also surprised when it won the best original screenplay award.
The National Board of Review has been known for never agreeing with the Oscars as only 11 of their 30 best films have went on to win the Best Picture Oscar. Their most recent winners include Hugo, The Social Network Up in the Air, and Slumdog Millionaire. Of those four, only Slumdog won the Best Picture Oscar.
In recent times their choices in the acting categories have also failed to garner nominations. Last year both Tilda Swinton and Shailene Woodley won acting awards but failed to garner Oscar nominations. In 2010 Lesly Manville won the best actress award for Another Year but failed to capture an nomination and in 2008 Clint Eastwood had the same fate winning at the National Board for his role in Gran Torino but obtained no Oscar nomination.
Still the win for Zero Dark Thirty can easily put the film in good conditions after winning the top honor from two major organizations. Come Sunday, the film could build an even more comfortable lead when the Boston and Los Angeles Film Critics unveil their best films of the year.
Full List of winners
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 SUGARMAN
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
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