Beaks here...

I've a feeling you're going to be reading slight variations on that headline over the next few months. Though the politicking has only just begun, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE seems to be the movie of the moment. It's so undeniable, even the flaky National Board of Review had to bestow their top honor upon it - though it looks like they really wanted to go with Clint Eastwood's curmudgeonly ode to tolerance, GRAN TORINO.

GRAN TORINO is going to be an interesting player in this year's Oscar race if only because reactions are clearly split along generational lines (oldsters love it, youngsters not so much). Obviously, the NBR fell hard for the film, including it in their top ten, while dishing out Best Actor to Clint and Best Original Screenplay to Nick Schenk. I don't know if this run of good fortune is going to continue through the critics' awards (very doubtful), but I can definitely see the Golden Globes nominating the hell out of this thing. As for the Academy... it's Clint. They'd retroactively nominate THE GAUNTLET if they could. He's a cinch for Actor if nothing else.

I'm not going to get too worked up over the rest of the NBR's choices, but it is nice to see geek fave LET THE RIGHT ONE IN shortlisted. Also glad to see SON OF RAMBOW and MISTER FOE getting some love. What do you think?

Awards for 2008:

Best Film

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Top Ten Films
(In alphabetical order)

BURN AFTER READING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
DEFIANCE
FROST/NIXON
GRAN TORINO
MILK
WALL-E
THE WRESTLER

Best Foreign Language Film

MONGOL

Top Five Foreign Films

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
ROMAN DE GARE
A SECRET
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Best Documentary

MAN ON WIRE

Top Five Documentaries

AMERICAN TEEN
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
DEAR ZACHARY
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Top Independent Films
(In alphabetical order)

FROZEN RIVER
IN BRUGES
IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS
MR. FOE
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
SNOW ANGELS
SON OF RAMBOW
WENDY AND LUCY
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
THE VISITOR

Best Actor

CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress

ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor

JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress

PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Ensemble Cast

DOUBT

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor

DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress

VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Director

DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Directorial Debut

COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Adapted Screenplay

SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Spotlight Award

MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

Best Original Screenplay

NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Animated Feature

WALL-E

William K. Everson Award For Film History

MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression

TRUMBO

The New York Film Critics Circle will be announcing their awards soon. With Armond White serving as the chair, you should make like a Gemini and expect the unexpected.