'Zero Dark Thirty' named best 2012 film by National Board of Review

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ named best 2012 film by National Board of Review

By Amy Kaufman

Dec. 5, 2012 11:55 AM PT

“Zero Dark Thirty,” Kathryn Bigelow’s drama about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was named the best film of the year Wednesday by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

The movie, set to open in limited release Dec. 19, took home two other top prizes, as Bigelow was deemed best director and star Jessica Chastain was given the lead actress award. It’s been a good week for the movie, which this week also received the highest honors from the New York Film Critics Circle.

Best actor of the year went to Bradley Cooper for his portrayal of a man struggling with bipolar disorder in “Silver Linings Playbook.” Leonardo DiCaprio won supporting actor as a plantation owner in “Django Unchained,” and Ann Dowd was named best supporting actress for playing a fast-food restaurant manager in “Compliance.”

The National Board of Review, founded in 1909, describes itself as a “select group of knowledgeable film enthusiasts and professionals, academics, young filmmakers and students. Group members viewed over 250 films to make this year’s selections, which include “Argo,” “Lincoln” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” as among the top movies of 2012.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and NBR haven’t agreed on the same best film since 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire.” Last year, NBR selected “Hugo” as 2011’s top movie, while the academy chose “The Artist.” In 2010, the Oscar went to “The King’s Speech,” but NBR gave its biggest honor to “The Social Network.”

The NBR awards will be presented Jan. 8 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Other winners announced Wednesday:

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, “Looper”

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best Animated Feature: “Wreck-It Ralph”

Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, “Argo”

Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland, “The Impossible”

Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Amour”

Best Documentary: “Searching for Sugar Man”

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Amy Kaufman

Amy Kaufman is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes the A-1 column “For Real With Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture — for real. Since joining The Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures including Stevie Nicks, Nick Cannon, Drew Barrymore and Lady Gaga. She is also an investigative reporter and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett and Russell Simmons. In 2018, her book “Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure” became a New York Times bestseller.

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ named best 2012 film by National Board of Review

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