'A Most Violent Year,' 'American Sniper' Nab Top Prizes From National Board of Review
The National Board of Review announced its 2014 winners selecting A Most Violent Year as best film and Clint Eastwood as best director for American Sniper.
Again, like the New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review vies to be ahead of the curve with their film choices, but are often quite outside when it comes to prognosticating ultimate Oscar choices. Pete Hammond pointed out last year that NBR hasn’t synced with AMPAS on best picture since 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, and the last time they matched the Oscar win for best director was Martin Scorsese in 2005 for The Departed. Last year, the NBR lauded Her with best film as well as Spike Jonze, and the way it went down with Oscar was that Her was nominated for best pic, while Jonze won for best screenplay (NBR gave screenplay kudos to Joel and Ethan Coen for Inside Llewyn Davis and Terence winter for The Wolf of Wall Street).
What the kudo org does do, that few awards ceremonies do during awards season, is honor burgeoning artists with their breakthrough award. Last year, Fruitvale Station‘s Michael B. Jordan and Blue Is the Warmest Color‘s Adele Exarchopoulos won the Breakthrough Performance awards. Ryan Coogler nabbed best directorial debut for Fruitvale as well.
The awards will be handed out on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York, NY.
Below is a full list of the awards given by the National Board of Review:
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
Established in 1909, The National Board of Review is a non-profit organization which celebrates and supports films from around the world and fosters commentary on all aspects of film production. The org also underwrites educational film programs and seminars for film students. In 2014, the NBR awarded grants to 16 students from seven schools, as well as the Children’s Aid Society, Reel Works Teen Filmmaking, The Ghetto Film School, and the Educational Video Center.
