The Irishman launches into Oscar race with National Board of Review win
Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed Netflix drama The Irishman has picked up this year’s top award from the National Board of Review, a sturdy indicator of Oscars success.
The crime saga, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, was named 2019’s best film, following in the footsteps of Green Book last year which went on to win the Academy award for best picture.
“We are thrilled to award The Irishman as our best film,” said the NBR president, Annie Schulhof, in a statement. “Martin Scorsese’s masterful mob epic is a rich, moving, beautifully textured movie that represents the best in what cinema can be.”
Steven Zaillian also picked up the prize for best adapted screenplay for the film. But Scorsese missed out on the award for best director which instead went to Quentin Tarantino for his 60s-set hit Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
The lead acting prizes were handed to Adam Sandler for the indie thriller Uncut Gems and Renée Zellweger for the musical biopic Judy. Supporting awards were given to Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and
Kathy Bates for Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell.
The announcement arrives the day after Netflix also triumphed at the Gotham awards, with Noah Baumbach’s divorce drama Marriage Story taking top prizes for best feature and best actor. Next week sees the Golden Globe nominations unveiled.
The National Board of Review is a New York-based organisation made up of “a select group of knowledgeable film enthusiasts, academics, and filmmakers”.
List of winners:
Best film: The IrishmanBest director: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in HollywoodBest actor:
Adam Sandler, Uncut GemsBest actress: Renée Zellweger, JudyBest supporting actor: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in HollywoodBest supporting actress: Kathy Bates, Richard JewellBest original screenplay: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Uncut GemsBest adapted screenplay: Steven Zaillian, The Irish man Breakthrough performance: Paul Walter Hauser, Richard JewellBest directorial debut: Melina Matsoukas, Queen & SlimBest animated feature: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden WorldBest foreign language film: ParasiteBest documentary: MaidenBest ensemble: Knives OutOutstanding achievement in cinematography: Roger Deakins, 1917
Top films (in alphabetical order) 1917Dolemite is My NameFord v FerrariJojo RabbitKnives OutMarriage StoryOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood Richard JewellUncut GemsWaves
Top foreign language films (in alphabetical order) A tl anti cs Invisible LifePain and GloryPortrait of a Lady on FireTransit
Top five documentaries (in alphabetical order)American FactoryApollo 11The Black Godfather Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin ScorseseWrestle
Top 10 independent films (in alphabetical order)The FarewellGive Me LibertyA Hidden LifeJudyThe Last Black Man in San Francisco Mids om mar The Nightingale The Peanut Butter FalconThe SouvenirWild Rose