NBR pipes up for 'A Most Violent Year'

The significance of the National Board of Review is always debated when they chime in each December. Since it isn't really a critic group or an industry organization, they can sometimes make choices that will certainly not be reflected by the Academy two months down the road. Then again, sometimes those odd choices can serve as a nifty exposure boost for a low-profile contender (remember Jacky Weaver back in 2010?)

This year, it's J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year that could benefit the most from their singular taste, picking up mentions for stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain in addition to the Best Film honour. As a small film just on the outside of the Best Picture bubble (kinda like Chandor's All Is Lost, ultimately an under-seen awards disappointment last year), this could do a real service to the film.

Review - All Is Lost

The 'old man and the sea' concept gets amped up to eleven in J.C. Chandor's arresting new survival drama All Is Lost, in which Robert Redford (referred to simply as “Our Man” by the closing credits) struggles to keep a sinking yacht afloat in the Indian Ocean.

Chandor's screenplay, which barely runs 31 pages due to its virtual absence of dialogue, is elegant in its simplicity; a refreshingly radical U-turn from the dense verbosity of his 2011 debut Margin Call. Our man wakes up from a nap on his 30' luxury yacht, the Virginia Jean, to discover water pouring in through a hole in the hull. He must rely on his resourcefulness and stoic determination (albeit one that's slowly ebbing away) as his situation constantly deteriorates from bad to worse to worse yet.

One Category at a Time: Original Screenplay

I'm having a really tough time deciding how to feel about the slate of Best Original Screenplay nominees this year. On the one hand, there's nothing more gratifying than to see the two legitimately best screenplays of the year mentioned alongside each other. On the other hand, there's nothing more irritating than to see two uninspired screenplays squeeze out underrated gems like 50/50 and Young Adult in the one category where they could have earned some recognition. And then there's the Best Picture winner's token nomination for Writing. No strong feelings either which way about that one.