STATUETTE STAKES: National Board of Review Has Its Day

The National Board of Review is an organization with a virtually unknown membership that exists in public consciousness for precisely one day per year, and this is their day:  the announcement of their film awards.  Their claim to fame, such as it was, came from being the first ones out of the awards gate--but this year the NY Film Critics Circle stole their thunder by revealing their picks 2 days ago.  So there's not much reason to give the NBR choices much credence in terms of the bigger race.  Having said all that, they've made some interesting and worthy choices that are very different from NYFCC's.  Below are the NBR selections and some thoughts:

Best Picture:  HUGO. 

Best Director:  Martin Scorsese, HUGO.  These awards are crucial to Hugo, which is attempting the difficult feat of coming into the market as a family entertainment and staying there as a critically acclaimed player in the Oscar game.  The film is adding theaters this weekend, and hopes to keep expanding through December.

Best Actor:  George Clooney, THE DESCENDANTS.  Certainly no surprise, but officially puts Clooney into the race. 

Best Actress:  Tilda Swinton, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.  A great performance in a very difficult film that's only getting a 1-week Oscar qualifying run in a couple of theatres this month.  Swinton and the film desperately need some awards momentum to get any kind of audience for this picture.

Best Supporting Actor:  Christopher Plummer, BEGINNERS  As with Clooney, this is a pro-forma introduction of Plummer into the race.

Best Supporting Actress:  Shailene Woodley, THE DESCENDANTS  A definite help to Fox Searchlight's hope to get Woodley an Oscar nomination for this role.

Best Original Screenplay:  Will Reiser, 50/50  An unexpected but very welcome choice, as this is an excellent script that hasn't been getting much attention.

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Alexander Payne, Jim Rash & Nat Fason, THE DESCENDANTS  Certainly one of the frontrunners along with Moneyball.

Best Animated Film:  RANGO  NYFCC apparently didn't find any animated film this year worthy of an award, which was bizarre in a year that gave us this exceptional picture.

Best Foreign Language Film:  A SEPARATION  A groundswell beginning to develop?

Best Documentary:  PARADISE LOST 3:  PURGATORY.  On the official Oscar short-list for this category.

Best Debut Director:  J. C. Chandor, MARGIN CALL.  Some more well-earned attention for a very dark horse in the race.

Best Ensemble:  THE HELP  The other organization that gives this award is the critically important Screen Actors Guild (actors form the largest single group of Oscar voters), and DreamWorks/Disney will be beating this drum loudly.

Breakthrough Performances:  Felicity Jones, LIKE CRAZY; Rooney Mara, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO  Consider these "they're here too" runner-up awards for Best Actress  The Mara award is important because it's the first indication Dragon Tattoo (a very violent genre movie, despite its pedigree) and its star could be awards contenders.

"Spotlight" Award:  Michael Fassbender.  Another runner-up award.