National Board of Review Awards 2013

National Board of Review announced their winners a while ago. Spike Jonze's Her was crowned the best picture of the year along with Jonze winning best director. NBR are always known for their different and bold choices in every category. Yesterday, NYFCC surprised us with American Hustle winning the main prize. Today, Her won. What is next? It is strangely joyful yet at the same time, quite weird that these critics awards are going in such different directions. Zero Dark Thirty was last year's early critics darling and it was winning everything until Argo started sweeping. This year, anybody can win. Her is a movie I personally am dying to see for Jonze and this is just a great thing for me. Nebraska duo of Bruce Dern and Will Forte won lead/supporting actor awards while Fruitvale Station's Octavia Spencer and Saving Mr. Banks' Emma Thompson won supporting/lead actress prizes. Other winners includes The Past, The Wind Rises, Stories We Tell, Blue is the Warmest Color and the new Scorsese/Coens movies. Man, I am loving this year's awards season.

Below is the full list of winners and NBR's lists of Top Films, Foreign Language Films, Documentaries and Independent Features.

Best Film: HER

Best Director: Spike Jonze, HER


Best Lead Actor: Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA

Best Lead Actress: Emma Thompson, SAVING MR. BANKS

Best Supporting Actor: Will Forte, NEBRASKA

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, FRUITVALE STATION

Best Original Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

Best Adapted Screenplay: Terence Winter, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Foreign Language Film: THE PAST

Best Animated Feature: THE WIND RISES

Best Documentary: STORIES WE TELL

Best Ensemble: PRISONERS

Breakthrough Performance - Male: Michael B. Jordan, FRUITVALE STATION

Breakthrough Performance - Female: Adele Exarchopoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

Best Directorial Debut: Ryan Coogler, FRUITVALE STATION

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: WADJDA

Creative Innovation in Filmmaking Award: GRAVITY

Spotlight Award: Career Collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio

William K. Everson Film History Award: George Stevens, Jr.

Top Films 
(in alphabetical order)

12 YEARS A SLAVE
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
LONE SURVIVOR
NEBRASKA
PRISONERS
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order)

BEYOND THE HILLS
GLORIA
THE GRANDMASTER
A HIJACKING
THE HUNT

Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order)

20 FEET FROM STARDOM
THE ACT OF KILLING
AFTER TILLER
CASTING BY
THE SQUARE

Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order)

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
IN A WORLD…
MOTHER OF GEORGE
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
MUD
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
SHORT TERM 12
SIGHTSEERS
THE SPECTACULAR NOW