02 Dec ‘Licorice Pizza’ Wins Big and ‘The Power of the Dog’ Misses at NBR
The first major precursor of the season just announced its picks. For years, the National Board of Review (NBR) awards have marked the beginning of Oscar season and they continued that with today’s announcement. One startling omission was Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which many predicted to win here. It was not named as one of the top 10 films which is something that forces me to remove it from its place as the Best Picture favorite. It is absolutely still getting nominated, it just may not have the kind of support to get the haul I was predicting it to get. Licorice Pizza, on the other hand, gains in standing as its now both one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year (90 Metascore) and has the first major precursor under its belt. Of course, it’s important to mention that none of the NBR’s Best Film winners in the last ten years except for Green Book ended up winning Picture, but Paul Thomas Anderson’s film gets a boost nonetheless.
In the last 10 years an average of just over 5 films picked by the NBR went on to become Best Picture nominees. With the expanded field of 10 BP nominees this year I am predicting that around six of this year’s NBR picks will end up getting nominated for Best Picture.
2011 — 4/9
2012 — 7/9
2013 — 5/9
2014 — 4/8
2015 — 5/8
2016 — 7/9
2017 — 6/9 (The Shape of Water was not picked by the NBR)
2018 — 4/8
2019 — 6/9 (Parasite won Best Foreign Language Film)
2020 — 5/8
Also, in the last 10 years every eventual Best Picture winner except for The Shape of Water in 2017 was a member of the NBR’s Top 10 Films, which makes it seem very likely that the eventual Best Picture winner from this year will one of the 10 films chosen by the NBR.
Also, this is slightly irrelevant but I hope the Tragedy of Macbeth winning for Best Cinematography becomes a trend as the camerawork in that film (just from the trailer) epitomizes stunning.
So without further ado, here are the picks from the NBR.
Best Film: LICORICE PIZZA
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, LICORICE PIZZA
Best Actor: Will Smith, KING RICHARD
Best Actress: Rachel Zegler, WEST SIDE STORY
Best Supporting Actor: Ciarán Hinds, BELFAST
Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis, KING RICHARD
Best Original Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, A HERO
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Breakthrough Performance: Alana Haim & Cooper Hoffman, LICORICE PIZZA
Best Directorial Debut: Michael Sarnoski, PIG
Best Animated Feature: ENCANTO
Best Foreign Language Film: A HERO
Best Documentary: SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
Best Ensemble: THE HARDER THEY FALL
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: FLEE
Top Films (in alphabetical order)
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
The Last Duel
Nightmare Alley
Red Rocket
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story
Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)
Benedetta
Lamb
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds
Titane
The Worst Person in the World
Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
Ascension
Attica
Flee
The Rescue
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
The Card Counter
C’mon C’mon
CODA
The Green Knight
Holler
Jockey
Old Henry
Pig
Shiva Baby
The Souvenir Part II
Source: Yahoo