Oscar Season Is Officially Here

Today is the first official day, when the important awards groups start speaking. The buzz will become even more concrete in the next few days. Today is the National Board of Review. The Golden Globe Nominations come out next Thursday the 11th, Los Angeles speaks on Tuesday the 9th, New York the day after that, and then Thursday the 18th the Screen Actors Guild nominations come out. Things will be looking pretty set by that point, I would imagine. So start making lists of cool films you want to see.

The National Board of Review is a bit of a mess, of course. Who the hell are they, for starters? But they start the buzz train really rolling, so they are always exciting. To wit:

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Top Ten Movies:
Burn after Reading
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino (they obviously love Clint Eastwood)
Milk
WALL·E
The Wrestler

Best Foreign Language Film: Mongol (ineligible for this year's Oscar)

Top Five Foreign Films:
The Edge of Heaven (also ineligible)
Let the Right One In (also ineligible)
Roman de Gare (also ineligible)
Un Secret (um, also ineligible)
Waltz with Bashir (the only eligible one)

Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino (did I mention they love Clint Eastwood?)

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Breakthroughs:
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Viola Davis, Doubt

Best Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Spotlight Award: (How is this different from "breakthrough?" I guess it doesn't matter.)
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Best Screenplays:
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Nick Schenk, Gran Torino

Best Animated Feature: WALL·E

Predictions? What does it all mean?