Awards Buzz!

Hooray, the National Board of Review is the first out of the gate with awards! Golden Globes announce their nominations Thursday! The Broadcast Film Critics' Association will also announce in a few weeks, as well as the Screen Actors Guild! Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, it's finally HERE!

So, let's see what they did here:

BEST FILM
Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: When am I seeing this? Sooner rather than later, I hope. In a perfect world, I'd be in the theater watching it last week, but ALAS, Tally does not love me enough.

TOP TEN FILMS
Burn After Reading
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino
Milk
WALL-E
The Wrestler
REACTION: I love that this is actually a runners-up list. Of the four that have actually been released here, I've seen three. *Sigh* I guess I'll have to watch Changeling the bootlegged way. Still, score one point for Batman, eh?

TOP TEN INDEPENDENT FILMS
Frozen River
In Bruges
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Mr. Foe
Rachel Getting Married
Snow Angels
Son of Rambow
Wendy and Lucy
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Visitor
REACTION: Wow, I've seen four of these. I'm actually doing better here than with the studio films! Still need to see In Bruges, need to finish The Visitor, then buy it. Really? Snow Angels? Hey, Son of Rambow got in! High fives, everyone!

BEST ACTOR
Cint Eastwod, Gran Torino
REACTION: I really can't wait to see this. Between him (Walt Kowalski) and The Visitor (Walter Vale), it's the year of the Fearless Warrior. I'll say right now, Clint: you better earn this.

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
REACTION: Yes. Right on. Meryl and Kate are gonna have to blow me away if they want the Hollmann Award, because this chick is IT, as far as I'm concerned. Let's hope this is the first of many.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
REACTION: Oh, NBR. It's always No Country with you, isn't it? Seriously, I'm really looking forward to this flick more than any other. Get here already!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
REACTION: Please let this lead to another comeback for the Woodster. Please? Ooh, if Javier gives Penelope her Oscar...

BEST ENSEMBLE
Doubt
REACTION: This is another one that's gotta blow me away. From what I've seen, the Best Ensemble of the Year is Synecdoche, NY. Of course, I love all four of the lead actors in Doubt, so I'm sure It earned this. Something to ponder: Doubt wins this, but is noweher to be seen in any other category. This is especially odd when you consider all the ensemble films in their Top Ten Lists (The Dark Knight, Burn After Reading, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Snow Angels, Rachel Getting Married)

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher, The Curious case of Benjamin Button
REACTION: Oh, Mamma, this is gonna be good.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Eric Roth, The Curious case of Benjamin Button
REACTION: I know Slumdog is based on a book, but I can't find it. It's called Q&A and I hope I can get to it before I see the movie. That's what I like to do, see. By the way, Roth wrote the screenplay, but the story by credit is given to both him and Robin Swicord, FSU alum and writer/director of The Jane Austen Book Club.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nick Schenk, Gran Torino
REACTION: Again: Synecdoche, NY.

Complete results at the NBR site.