The Academy Awards is approaching. Traditionally, other award giving bodies are now starting to give their own awards for film. For film fans this is the start of speculations and award-watching because these early awards serve as a barometer for potential Academy Award nominees and winners.

Just today, the National Board of Review gave their awards and the results are quite interesting. I’ll let you see some of the choice nominations and awards for your benefit:

Best Film — NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Top Ten Films — (In alphabetical order) THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, ATONEMENT, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, THE BUCKET LIST, INTO THE WILD, JUNO, THE KITE RUNNER, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, MICHAEL CLAYTON, SWEENEY TODD

Best Foreign Film — THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

Top Five Foreign Films — (In alphabetical order) 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS, THE BAND’S VISIT, THE COUNTERFEITERS, LA VIE EN ROSE, LUST, CAUTION

Top Five Documentaries — (In alphabetical order) DARFUR NOW, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, NANKING, TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE, TOOTS

Top Independent Films — (In alphabetical order) AWAY FROM HER, GREAT WORLD OF SOUND, HONEYDRIPPER, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, A MIGHTY HEART, THE NAMESAKE, ONCE, THE SAVAGES, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, WAITRESS

Best Actor — GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton

Best Actress — JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her

Best Supporting Actor — CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Best Supporting Actress — AMY RYAN, Gone Baby Gone

Best Ensemble Cast — NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor — EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress — ELLEN PAGE, Juno

Best Director — TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd

Best Directorial Debut — BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone

Best Adapted Screenplay — JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, No Country For Old Men

Best Original Screenplay — DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl

Best Documentary — BODY OF WAR

Best Animated Feature — RATATOUILLE

I am quite happy that Lust, Caution has been given some recognition. It is a beautiful film that deserves a wider audience. We’ll see in the coming months if these early winners will continue to build steam and momentum to the run-up to Academy Awards early next year