2018 National Board of Review Awards Winners

Yesterday afternoon the NBR announced its winners and its choices gives us a sight into the Awards Season that seems this year will be not surprising but a little bit unpredictable with perhaps honors wealth spreading all over the place.  We have to recall the NBR is made up of film enthusiasts, industry professionals, academics and filmmakers which makes the organization a quite interesting blend from all walks of life.

In past awards seasons group have honored films that went to have Oscar nominations and/or wins.  Last year their top winner was The Post but also honored The Florida Project, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, Call Me By Your Name, and Coco, all of which ended up receiving Oscar nominations.  So, the group heterogeneity gives them good predictable record for nominations.  Still, believe group has a spotty record for predicting winners.

This year's top award went to a film that "surprised" internet film pundits as not many were predicting or expecting Green Book to win.  Can't say I'm surprised with A Star Is Born collecting top honors as found film not really outstanding but a so-so copy of the 1976 (too-many identical scenes, especially the beauty takes of Cooper and Kristofferson eyes) and I'm not saying I found the 1976 version good; anyway, a film like this one is expected to impact in a cinematic world where top grossing films are made based on comics characters, sigh.

NBR president Annie Schulhof said, "We are proud to honor Green Book as our best film — it is a warm and heartfelt look at a remarkable friendship, brought to the screen at a moment where its story of love, compassion and shared humanity deeply resonates. We are also thrilled to award Bradley Cooper as our best director — he is an extraordinary talent behind the camera, bringing a fresh and modern perspective, as well as superb craftsmanship and tremendous heart, to the classic story of A Star Is Born."

The 2018 winners list

Best Film: Green Book, Peter Farrelly
Best Animated Feature:  Incredibles 2, Brad Bird
Best Foreign Language Film: Cold War, Pawel Pawlikowski
Best Documentary: RBG, Julie Cohen and Betsy West

Best Director: Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born
Best Directorial Debut: Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade

Best Actress: Lady Gaga in A Star is Born
Best Supporting Actress:  Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Actor: Viggo Mortensen in Green Book
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Elliott in A Star is Born
Breakthrough Performance: Thomasin McKenzie in Leave No Trace
Best Ensemble: Crazy Rich Asians, Jon M. Chu

Best Original Screenplay: Paul Scharader for First Reformed
Best Adapted Screenplay: Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk

William K. Everson Film History Award
The Other Side of the Wind, Orson Welles
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, Morgan Neville

NBR Freedom of Expression Award
22 July, Paul Greengrass
On Her Shoulders, Alexandria Bombach

Top Films (in alphabetical order)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Eighth Grade
First Reformed
If Beale Street Could Talk
Mary Poppins Returns
A Quiet Place
Roma
A Star Is Born

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)
Burning
Custody
The Guilty
Happy as Lazzaro
Shoplifters

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
Crime + Punishment
Free Solo
Minding the Gap
Three Identical Strangers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
The Death of Stalin
Lean on Pete
Leave No Trace
Mid90s
The Old Man & the Gun
The Rider
Searching
Sorry to Bother You
We the Animals
You Were Never Really Here

This year's honors will be presented during the awards gala at New York's Cipriani 42nd Street hosted again by Willie Geist.  To check winners at official site go here.