nationalboardofreview.jpgAfter much controversy and delay, that mysterious cabal known at the National Board of Review has selected its favorite films and performances of the year. Top honors went to George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck; honorable mention went to nine films, including Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, History of Violence, Match Point, Memoirs of a Geisha, Munich, Syriana, and Walk the Line. Paradise Now was named Best Foreign Film, whilst March of the Penguins (itself a French production) took the Documentary prize.  Felicity Huffman and Philip Seymour Hoffman were given top acting honors, for their performances as a transgendered woman and Truman Capote (respectively).

Whilst I'm happy to see some of the names on this list (David Cronenberg's director's prize; Jake Gyllenhaal honored for his supporting work in Brokeback Mountain) it's really an awfully long list. And when you take into account the awards for "Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking" (a random list that includes every minor critical success of the year, from Layer Cake to Everything is Illuminated), it would almost seem harder to not  land some kind of NBR recognition. Take a look for yourself - the rest of the names are after the jump.
 

Best Animated Feature: Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride

Best Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Best Actress: Felicity Huffman, TransAmerica

Best Supporting Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain

Best Supporting Actress: Gong Li, Memoirs of a Geisha

Best Acting By An Ensemble: Mrs. Henderson Presents

Breakthrough Performance Actor: Terrence Howard, Crash, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and

Hustle & Flow

Breakthrough Performance Actress: Q’Orianka Kilcher, The New World

Best Directorial Debut: Julian Fellowes, Separate Lies

Best Adapted Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan, Syriana

Best Original Screenplay: Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale

Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV: Lackawanna Blues

Career Achievement: Jane Fonda

Career Achievement in Film Music Composition: Howard Shore

Outstanding Achievement in Special Effects: King Kong

Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Direction: David Cronenberg

William K. Everson Award for Film History: George Feltenstein

Producer of the Year Award: Saul Zaentz

Special Recognition of Films That Reflect Freedom of Expression:

Innocent Voices and The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till

 

Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking:

The National Board of Review, in keeping with its long tradition of recognizing excellence in filmmaking, is proud to salute the following films crafted by visionary artists, which demonstrate the creativity and determination always vital to the film industry.

(Listed Alphabetically)

 

Breakfast on Pluto

Cape of Good Hope

The Dying Gaul

Everything Is Illuminated

Hustle & Flow

Junebug

Layer Cake

Lord of War

Nine Lives

The Thing About My Folks

The Upside of Anger