National Board of Review

The beginning of the madness; here are the winners:

BEST PICTURE
The Social Network

Top Ten of 2010
(in alphabetical order)

• Another Year
• The Fighter
• Hereafter
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• Shutter Island
• The Town
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher, The Social Network

BEST ACTOR
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

BEST ACTRESS
Lesley Manville, Another Year

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Figher

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Buried- Chris Sparling

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Social Network- Aaron Sorkin

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Of Gods and Men

Top Five Foreign Film of the 2010

• I Am Love
• Incendies
• Life, Above All
• Soul Kitchen
• White Material

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Waiting for 'Superman'

Top Five Documentaries of 2010

• A Film Unfinished
• Inside Job
• Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
• Restrepo
• The Tillman Story

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Toy Story 3

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
The Town

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone

BEST DIRECTOR DEBUT
Sebastian Junger & Tim Hetherington, Restrepo

SPOTLIGHT AWARD
Sylvain Chomet & Jacques Tati, The Illusionist

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Shutter Island- Dante Ferretti

SPECIAL FILMMAKING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sofia Coppola, for writing, directing and producing Somewhere

NBR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Fair Game, Conviction, Howl

WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD
Leonard Malton

Top Ten Independent Films

• Animal Kingdom
• Buried
• Fish Tank
• The Ghost Writer
• Greenberg
• Let Me In
• Monsters
• Please Give
• Somewhere
• Youth in Revolt

The Social Network gets the upper hand in the first big prize of the season, which is wonderful since it's one of the best of the year.  It's the first of what I assume will be many prizes coming its way; the critics lurved it!  While The Social Network's awards heaping doesn't surprise, the Eisenberg mention does-- he's fantastic in the role, but it's such a scathing, unlikable portrayal; of course his win here elevates his Oscar chances ten fold, as well as the chances of already likely nominees Lesley Manville and Christian Bale; great to see Jacki Weaver get the boost as well.

NBR continues it's tradition of spreading their love in odd ways (Buried for best original screenplay; The Town as best ensemble) as well as continuing their "I Love Clint Eastwood" ass kissing in full tilt-- Hereafter, despite a major critical and popular drubbing was on their top 10, or top 11.

Films notable missing anywhere:
127 Hours
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
The Kids Are All Right
Rabbit Hole