NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The prize for best film of the year at the National Board of Review Awards went to 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick." Martin McDonagh's 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥� took home the most trophies. But the night belonged to its best-director honoree, Steven Spielberg, and the parade of tributes paid to the 76-year-old filmmaker.
So effusive was the praise for Spielberg that Colin Farrell, there to accept the award for best actor for his performance in 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin,鈥� said the experience of first watching 鈥淓.T.鈥� was the most euphoric of his life, ranking it even above the births of his two children.
鈥淚'm glad this isn't televised,鈥� said Farrell.
Despite the lack of a broadcast from Cipriani's 42 Street in midtown Manhattan, the National Board of Review Awards have long been a regular and starry stop in Hollywood's awards season. This year's ceremony, hosted Sunday for the seventh time by Willie Geist, came right in the thick of a battery of big dates on the Oscar calendar. The Golden Globes are Tuesday, the Screen Actor Guild nominations are Wednesday and voting for the Academy Awards starts Thursday.
That meant that the NBR Awards, , was a chance to stoke buzz and polish acceptance speeches. The National Board of Review makes it easier, too, by and pairing each with a lavish introduction from a collaborator or friend. Spielberg, who won best director for his movie-memoir 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥� was introduced by 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� star Ariana DeBose.
DeBose recalled being in a nail salon when 鈥淪teven (expletive) Spielberg鈥� called to ask if she would join the cast.
鈥淲hat I remember most about that moment, aside from the experience of realizing that blood was rushing to my head and to my feet simultaneously, was thinking: Wow, what a gentlemanly, respectful, generous call that that was to make," DeBose said. 鈥淭o ask someone to join you in an adventure."
Gabriel LaBelle, and was honored for breakthrough performance along with similarly described the life-changing nature of a call from Spielberg.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 in debt, like I owe you, like I owe you my first born child or something,鈥� LaBelle said, still in apparent disbelief at his turn of fate. "I don鈥檛 know how I鈥檒l ever pay you back.鈥�
When Spielberg took the stage, the crowd rose in a standing ovation.
"My whole career in all the films I've directed 鈥� my job, as I have seen it 鈥� is as the accompanist and the conductor to whoever or whatever should be the center of your attention," he said. 鈥淏ut when it came time for me to sit down with Tony Kushner to explore the possibilities of a story that became 鈥楾he Fabelmans,鈥� I realized for the first time that I couldn't take cover behind a mothership or a T-Rex or a big mechanical shark that never worked.鈥�
Much has been made about 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥� being Spielberg's most personal film, a classification he didn't dispute. Though he noted that every movie, in any genre, can be personal to a director, Spielberg said making his latest 鈥渨as like moving back in with my parents and my sisters.鈥�
鈥淵ou say you can鈥檛 go home again? Oh, no. That鈥檚 wrong. You can go home again,鈥� he said.
Though Spielberg is renowned as a hit-maker, 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥� has struggled to ignite at the box office with just $15.1 million worldwide, sapping some of its Oscar momentum.
Meanwhile, the awards hopes for a pair of theatrical successes 鈥� and 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� 鈥� have risen. 鈥淭op Gun鈥� star Tom Cruise didn't attend Sunday, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer applauded him while accepting for best film.
鈥淪imply put: He鈥檚 a force of nature,鈥� Bruckheimer said. 鈥淎 man with one goal: to entertain audiences.鈥�
After being introduced by her 鈥淐razy Rich Asians鈥� co-star Awkwafina, accepted the award for best actress. The Malaysian-born Yeoh noted she was the first Asian to win the award in nearly five decades, something that caused her to reflect on her journey from Hong Kong to Hollywood.
"One day Hollywood did come calling. It was an absolute dream come true. We all wanted to go to Hollywood 鈥� until I got there," Yeoh said. 鈥淪uddenly, I was a minority. I mean, how did that happen? There are more of me than you! I was typecast. I didn't see faces like mine on the screen. I met with people who didn't know where Korea and China and Japan were."
Best supporting actress went to Her introduction came from Benoit Blanc, himself: Daniel Craig. 鈥淎re you kidding me?鈥� Mon谩e exclaimed. 鈥淵ou guys got (expletive) James Bond?鈥�
鈥淲hen Janelle floats, when she glides into a room, the chemicals in the air change,鈥� Craig said of his 鈥淕lass Onion鈥� co-star. 鈥淲hen I had the privilege of working with her, every day she lifted me up."
Brendan Gleeson, who stars opposite Farrell in 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin," wasn't there to accept his award for best supporting actor, though Farrell read a letter from him. Gleeson remarked on the success of Martin McDonagh's movie: "Happy days for a sad film."
McDonagh was also honored with the award for best original screenplay. Oscar Isaac, who stars in the playwright's next film, introduced McDonagh by recalling his first meeting with him at a London pub, an encounter that ended in the two sharing mushrooms. Once he reached the stage, McDonagh thanked Isaac 鈥渇or revealing only one of my drug preferences.鈥�
McDonagh then made one of the night's most pointed remarks, applauding his film's distributor, Searchlight Pictures, for giving him no notes on the screenplay: 鈥淲hich is probably why I'm up here tonight.鈥�
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
