Continuing the quasi-kickoff of awards season, Martin Scorsese‘s Hugo has received the highest honor from the esteemed National Board of Review: film of the year.
The New York-based Board, comprised of scholars, filmmakers and students, also named Scorsese the year’s best director.
Other awards of note: best actor for George Clooney (The Descendants — whose director, Alexander Payne, won for his adapted screenplay, and costar, Shailene Woodley, won best supporting actress) and best actress for Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin). Additionally, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘s Rooney Mara and Like Crazy‘s Felicity Jones were honored by the group as 2011’s breakthrough performers.
Here is the complete list of winners:
Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film
Source: THR
