NBR Reactions

well i have got to say that i am a bit shocked with how the NBR turned out. WB hogged the top ten. plus the ever so unpredictable supporting race. Dreamgirls and The Queen were so so snubbed except for Mirren, what does this say? Remember when Return of the King is not even in the top ten but ended winning the oscar for best picture. Maybe we can still say that to Dreamgirls for now. The same year, 2003, Eastwood's film won the top prize this year history seems to be repeating itself (i hope so, i am so fed up of Eastwood unless Letters is as good as they claim it is).

Best Picture: Letters from Iwo Jima
predicted winner: The Queen
comment: well, The Queen was badly snubbed i think it is far better than some of the films in the list, say history boys? Blood Diamond? Babel? Craps of our Fathers? If history is telling us something then it would be that NBR BP winners does not translate to Oscar Glory thus implying that the race is still very much open.

The rest of the top ten: Babel, Blood Diamond, The Departed, Devil Wears Prada, Flags of our Fathers, History Boys, Little Miss Sunshine, Notes on a Scandal, The Painted Veil
How did i do: I got Babel, The Departed, Flags, letters, and Sunshine right. 4/10. bad very bad.

Best Actor: Forrest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
predicted winner: Peter o'Toole (but Whitaker is my alternate)
comment: Just when I thought he is losing steam, he opens the awards season with a win and that backing form Oprah really helped him a lot.

Best Actress: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
predicted winner: Mirren, yay! got one right
comment: She is starting her sweep and the NBR has solidified her status. But her performance though personally for me was her best (or second best) but is not the year's best. I'd be so much happier if say we see Streep?

Best Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond)
predicted Winner: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
comment: I did not see this coming... he may be i the race but his status is still iffy...

Best Supporting Actress: Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration)
predicted winner: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
comment: Surprised! good surprise! Happy to see this perf got her a bow but i think this is a lead role not supporting. but she was superb nonetheless...

Best Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
predicted winner: Scorsese YAY! YAY! YAY!
comment: I'm starting to feel that they are finally writing his name in an Oscar trophy. But Eastwood seems to be hogging the Oscar to himself. Remember when Soderbergh won in 2000 for directing 2 films and both of which got him nominated twice? Flags and Letters might do the same thing but Scorsese has the momentum.

Other Winners:

Best Animated Feature: CARS
prediction wrong, alternate right

Best Ensemble Cast: THE DEPARTED
prediction wrong, alternate right

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: RYAN GOSLING, Half Nelson
prediction wrong

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: (2)JENNIFER HUDSON, Dreamgirls and RINKO KIKUCHI, Babel
prediction wrong, but alternate correct

Best Directorial Debut: JASON REITMAN, Thank You for Smoking

Best Original Screenplay: ZACH HELM, Stranger Than Fiction
prediction wrong

Best Adapted Screenplay: RON NYSWANER, The Painted Veil
prediction wrong

Best Foreign Language Film: Volver (winner), Curse of the Golden Flower, Days of Glory, Pan's Labyrinth, Water
prediction wrong, right alternate

Top Five Documentary Films: An Inconvenient Truth (winner), 51 Birch Street, Iraw in Fragments, Shut up and Sing, Wordplay

Top Independent Films(in alphabetical order)
Akeelah and the Bee, Bobby, Catch a Fire, Copying Beethoven, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Half Nelson, The Illusionist, Lonesome Jim, Sherrybaby, 10 Items or less, Thank You for Smoking

Career Achievement - ELI WALLACH

Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Directing - JONATHAN DEMME

Career Achievement in Producing - IRWIN WINKLER

William K. Everson Film History Award - DONALD KRIM

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression - WATER and WORLD TRADE CENTER


Comment: Happy to see Volver, Hudson, Kikuchi, Gosling, An Inconvenient Truth winning. This could probably prove that Hudson is a real contender. Remember when Theron won this award and end up winning the Oscar in 2003? And come on, though im happy, Gosling? Breakthrough? he should have won this back in 2002 for The Believer. Kikuchi was great but I think like Nathaniel that Barazza is far better than her. Volver is looking like a lock same as with Pan's Labyrinth.