Clint Eastwood set for Oscar success?

Dec 7, 2006, 12:30 GMT

Clint Eastwood's 'Letters from Iwo Jima' was named Best Film by the National Board of Review - paving the way for Oscar success.

The NBRs are the first major ceremony in the movie awards season and are widely considered to be a good indication as to what films will achieve Oscar glory.

The unreleased World War II film, which is told from a Japanese viewpoint, won the accolade yesterday (06.12.06).

'Dreamgirls' - the pundits pick to claim an Academy Award for Best Picture - failed to even make the NBRs top 10 films.

The NBR - made up of historians, students and educators - also snubbed 'Dreamgirls' stars Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy.

Jennifer Hudson, an 'American Idol' finalist, was the movie's only winner.

She won the Breakthrough Actress award and is now considered a serious contender for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

Martin Scorsese - who is yet to win an Oscar despite receiving five nominations - was named Best Director for 'The Departed'.

'American Beauty' was the last film to be named Best Film by both the NBRs and Academy Awards.

Last year, all five Best Picture Oscar nominees were featured on NBRs top 10 list.

This year's top 10 films included 'The Departed', 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Babel'.

Penelope Cruz's 'Volver' was named Best Foreign Film, while 'Cars' took Best Animated Feature.

The awards will be presented on January 9 in New York.

List of 2006 National Board of Review winners:

Film: Letters from Iwo Jima

Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen

Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond

Supporting Actress: Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration

Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Foreign Film: Volver

Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth

Animated Feature: Cars

Ensemble Cast: The Departed

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls, and Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Directorial Debut: Jason Reitman, Thank You for Smoking

Original Screenplay: Stranger Than Fiction

Adapted Screenplay: The Painted Veil

Career Achievement: Eli Wallach

Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Directing: Jonathan Demme

Career Achievement in Producing: Irwin Winkler

William K. Everson Film History Award: Donald Krim

Bvlgari Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: Water and World Trade Center

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