It’s Awards Season, People

Last week, the National Board of Review released its annual list of the best films and performances of 2007, with No Country for Old Men topping the list as the best picture of the year.

The NBR’s Top 10 Films list reads as follows: 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, and Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd’s Tim Burton was named best director, George Clooney (Michael Clayton) and Julie Christie (Away From Her) won the lead acting prizes, and Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) and Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) were recognized in the supporting categories.

On Sunday, the L.A. Film Critics Association awarded Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood best picture, best director, and best actor (Day-Lewis), while Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was named best picture runner-up.

Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) won for best actress, and Ryan took best supporting actress for her work in two crime dramas: Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.

Meanwhile, today the New York Film Critics Circle seconded the NBR’s pick when it, too, named No Country for Old Men the best picture of the year.

The film also picked up best director for the Coen brothers, best screenplay, and best supporting actor (Javier Bardem).

The New York critics awarded best actor honors to Day-Lewis for his turn in There Will Be Blood, best actress to Christie for Away From Her, and best supporting actress to Ryan for Gone Baby Gone.

Photo: Paramount Vantage (There Will Be Blood).

Update: The Boston Society of Film Critics also has released its own list of the best of 2007, featuring many of the aforementioned names.