Yesterday, the National Board of Review released their award winners. The NBR awards pretty much kick off the awards season, along with the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globe nominations, would should be announced in a few more weeks. The National Board of Review actually has a really interesting record picking winners and nominees – they’re chosen actors like Halle Berry (for Monster’s Ball), Slumdog Millionaire (for best picture) and Diablo Cody (for Juno’s screenplay), flying in the face of some conventional Oscar wisdom and some expensive campaigns. What I’m trying to say is – take the NBR awards seriously, but they don’t exactly mean these picks are the absolute winners.

The biggest “shock” win of yesterday’s announcement was George Clooney’s joint win as Best Actor (Morgan Freeman was also named for Invictus) and George’s film, Up In The Air, was named as the Best Picture. Also, Anna Kendrick (the younger girl in the film) took best supporting actress. So, it seems Up In The Air is the film to beat. And Clooney might be the actor to beat?

The 2009 Oscar race is officially Up in the Air.

The George Clooney vehicle about love in the age of layoffs has become one of the Oscar front-runners after being named best picture by the National Board of Review on Thursday.

Clooney shared a win for best actor with Morgan Freeman, who won for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in Invictus, directed by his longtime collaborator Clint Eastwood, who was named best director.

British newcomer Carey Mulligan was named best actress for playing a precocious teen in An Education, while The Messenger’s Woody Harrelson and Air’s Anna Kendrick were recognized for their supporting performances.

The cast of the forthcoming comedy, It’s Complicated, which includes Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, was named best ensemble.

The NBR, which was naming 10 of the year’s outstanding films long before the Oscars got into the act, also recognized, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, (500) Days of Summer, The Hurt Locker, A Serious Man, Invictus, Star Trek, The Messenger, Where the Wild Things Are, and Up, which was named best animated film.

The Oscars will air live on March 7 on ABC.

[From People]

Here’s the thing – I f-cking love to analyze what awards mean, and who has the best chances, and who got robbed and who benefited from the best campaign. Some people might find that kind of thing tedious, but Oscar predictions are like crack to me. I totally Lohan for critics’ awards. So here’s my analysis of the NBR awards: I think Up In The Air is peeking early. Though the film is getting great reviews, and everyone says Clooney is wonderful in it, I have serious doubts the film will go the distance. First of all, it’s got really f-cked subject matter for this time period: it’s a film about people losing their jobs. And the “hero” (Clooney) is the guy who does the laying off.

Now, I do think Clooney will likely end up with an Oscar nomination for the film. I just think his chance of winning it, as this point, isn’t that great. I think Morgan Freeman’s chance at both the nomination and the win for playing Nelson Mandela in Invictus is probably much better. And no one is even mentioning Colin Firth in A Single Man! Or Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine. So let’s not jump to any conclusions.

George Clooney and Elisabetta at the ‘Up In The Air’ premiere in Los Angeles on November 30, 2009. Credit: Fame.