Spike Jonze’s HER has the honour of being The National Board Of Review’s Best Film of 2013. Also awarded Best Director, NBR President Annie Schulhof declared Jonze “one of the most talented and visionary filmmakers working today.” Not quite a mortal lock for Academy Best Picture attention, this double win will boost its current standing significantly, especially when taking into consideration that the last NBR winner not nominated for the Oscars’ big category was 2000’s QUILLS.
In the acting categories, serious contenders Dern, Thompson, Forte and Spencer add a little more ammunition to their campaign trails, while Michael B. Jordan and Adele Exarchopoulos are recognised for Best Breakthrough. Ryan Coogler and Sarah Polley gain another piece of silverware for FRUITVALE STATION and STORIES WE TELL, respectively, with INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET honoured for their writing.
As well as their top ten films of the year, the NBR also name their favourite documentaries, foreign and indie films, including most of the usual suspects aside from CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. You can see their choices and the full list of winners below:
BEST FILM:
HER
BEST DIRECTOR:
Spike Jonze – HER
BEST ACTOR:
Bruce Dern – NEBRASKA
BEST ACTRESS:
Emma Thompson – SAVING MR. BANKS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Will Forte – NEBRASKA
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Octavia Spencer – FRUITVALE STATION
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Joel and Ethan Coen – INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Terence Winter – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
THE WIND RISES
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE:
Michael B. Jordan – FRUITVALE STATION
Adele Exarchopoulos – BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR
BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT:
Ryan Coogler – FRUITVALE STATION
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
THE PAST
BEST DOCUMENTARY:
STORIES WE TELL
WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD:
George Stevens, Jr.
BEST ENSEMBLE:
PRISONERS
SPOTLIGHT AWARD:
Career collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio
NBR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD:
WADJDA
CREATIVE INNOVATION IN FILMMAKING AWARD:
GRAVITY
TOP FILMS (in alphabetical order):
12 YEARS A SLAVE
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
LONE SURVIVOR
NEBRASKA
PRISONERS
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
TOP FIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS (in alphabetical order):
BEYOND THE HILLS
GLORIA
THE GRANDMASTER
A HIJACKING
THE HUNT
TOP FIVE DOCUMENTARIES (in alphabetical order):
20 FEET FROM STARDOM
THE ACT OF KILLING
AFTER TILLER
CASTING BY
THE SQUARE
TOP TEN INDEPENDENT FILMS (in alphabetical order):
AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
IN A WORLD…
MOTHER OF GEORGE
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
MUD
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
SHORT TERM 12
SIGHTSEERS
THE SPECTACULAR NOW
