The National Board of Review Puts "A Most Violent Year" on the Map

After yesterday's decision by the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics, the National Board of Review has named "A Most Violent Year" the best film of 2014, and gave it 2 other major awards.

Though far from being a huge indicator of Oscar success, this helps the film that was definitely in need of a push (that December 31st release date, and having a not so major studio behind it)

"Birdman" continued its success after the Gotham awards with 2 notices here, while Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" also showed strength.

It's still seriously wide open race at this point.

See the full list of winners below.

New Trailer for "A Most Violent Year"

J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year" is undoubtedly one of the biggest question marks in the Oscar race. It's got the prestige: Jessica Chastain, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks, while being written and directed by J.C. Chandor. It's an Academy friendly story: Set in New York City in the winter of 1981 (a record breaking violent year for the city), the story focuses on an immigrant and his family capitalizing on the growing violence and unrest in the city, trying to make a name and a life for themselves.

The problem? The film's profile is curiously quiet, and it's being distributed by the tiny studio A-24, who have yet to have a film earn an Oscar nomination.

A Most Violent Year Rears its Head

The buzz on director/writer J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call", "All is Lost") has been suspiciously low the last few months. Though there have been some "reports" about the film's acting being incredible (I wouldn't expect anything less from the new Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, but that cast is incredible; Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks also star), nothing else about the film has been released. Distributor A24, though relatively new, is not really much of an awards player; though they did manage some critics' awards wins for James Franco last year, their Oscar pull is weak. That all could change, however; the trailer and a poster for the film has finally been released, and it's promising.

Early Oscar Predictions

With this year's Cannes Film Festival finished, we have (un)officially began the 2014 Oscar season... which makes my brain hurt because it doesn't even seem like that long ago that I was watching Lupit Nyong'o and Jennifer Lawrence duke it out for Best Supporting Actress. But as it does every year, Oscar season seems to start just as it ends.