One can only say: Mission successful. The successful action sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” has been voted best film of the year by the renowned US film association National Board of Review (NBR). The strip starring Tom Cruise (60) grossed almost 1.5 billion US dollars at the box office worldwide. It’s the mega-star’s biggest box-office hit to date. In the ranking of the most successful films of all time, “Top Gun: Maverick” currently occupies eleventh place.
“Top Gun: Maverick is a gripping crowd pleaser that’s masterfully crafted on every level,” said NBR President Annie Schulhof. “Tom Cruise, director Joseph Kosinski and the entire film crew managed to make an incredibly popular film that has brought viewers back to theaters while also being a cinematic accomplishment.”
However, it was not Cruise who was awarded the best leading actor, but his colleague Colin Farrell (46). The actor convinced the jury in the tragic comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin”, Farrell’s film partner Brendan Gleeson (67) was voted best supporting actor. The Best Actress award went to Michelle Yeoh (60) for her performance in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Janelle Monáe (37) was honored for her role in the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Qut Mystery” as best supporting actress.
The award for best director went to Hollywood veteran Steven Spielberg (77) for his autobiographical drama “The Fabelmans”.
A German production is also among the award winners: Edward Berger (52), Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell (63) received the “NBR” award for the best adapted screenplay for the remake of the classic “Nothing New in the West”. The youth drama “Close” received the award for best international film.
The honor for “Sr.” Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr. (57) is likely to have been particularly touched as the best documentary. Finally, the “Iron Man” star delivered a very personal tribute to his father Robert Downey Sr. (1936-2021) with the Netflix production.
The US Film Association awards could already be a good prognosis for the 2023 Oscars. Finally, here several groups of film critics choose their favorites from 269 of the top films of the year. As the best film, “Top Gun: Maverick” is definitely going into next year with some momentum. But the Oscar ambitions of multiple winners “The Banshees of Inisherin” should not have dropped after the “NBR” awards.
