NBR names 'Slumdog' best of year; David Fincher wins directing kudos for 'Button'

Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Labor Day Picnic, 2008 Telluride Film Festival
Danny with Moi (left) and Terri Atmore (right)

"Slumdog Millionaire" was named best film of the year yesterday by the National Board of Review. Released Nov. 12, it was acquired by Searchlight midyear after it was orphaned through Time Warner’s shuttering of Warner Independent. (Warner Bros. remains a partner in the pic.) After its boffo preem in Telluride (WooHoo), the Danny Boyle-helmed tale of a Mumbai-raised boy competing for 20 million rupees on India’s "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" was on its way.

David Fincher, 2008 Telluride Film Festival
(Elks Park Panel )

David Fincher wins NBR directing kudos for 'Button'. At Telluride's "Tribute to Fincher" packed house, we got a first look at twenty minutes of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Awesome, magical! 'Button' has garnered much awards buzz to date. It opens Dec 25th. The incomparable Fincher deserves a Best Director Oscar® nom.

Marking its 100th year of existence, the NBR will hand out the awards Jan. 14 at its annual gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. Whoopi Goldberg will host.

The 122 members of the org are described variously as "knowledgeable film buffs," academics, historians and industryites, including the 41 "young voices" of students or filmmakers. Members typically view about 300 titles a year before voting on their picks; this year the number reached 330.

And the winners are:

Film: "Slumdog Millionaire"
Director: David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Actor: Clint Eastwood, "Gran Torino"
Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Foreign Language Film: "Mongol"
Documentary: "Man On Wire"
Animated Feature: "Wall-E"
Ensemble Cast: "Doubt"
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, "Gran Torino"
Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Eric Roth, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: "Trumbo"

TOP TEN FILMS
(in alphabetical order)
* "Burn After Reading"
* "Changeling"
* "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"
* "The Dark Knight"
* "Defiance"
* "Frost/Nixon"
* "Gran Torino"
* "Milk"
* "Wall-E"
* "The Wrestler"

TOP FIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS
(in alphabetical order)
* Edge Of Heaven
* Let The Right One In
* Roman De Guerre
* A Secret
* Waltz With Bashir

TOP FIVE DOCUMENTARY FILMS
(in alphabetical order)
* American Teen
* The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
* Dear Zachary
* Encounters At The End Of The World
* Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired

TOP INDEPENDENT FILMS OF 2008
(in alphabetical order)
*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

WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD:
Molly Haskell And Andrew Sarris

Source: NBRMP.org