The National Board of Review started passing judgment on films in 1909, and the organization is still here. So this group of amateur critics, whose notoriously timid members treasure their anonymity and lack of fancy credentials, must be doing something right. Proof of that is the fact that their picks of the year’s top achievements in film are widely greeted as the official beginning of the awards season.

So what does it matter that NBR has both a Top Ten Films list and a Top Ten Independent Films list? (Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” falls into the first category; Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” falls somewhat arbitrarily into the second; and nobody's saying what category the triumphant "Slumdog Millionaire" falls into.) Guess it’s the thought, however loopy, that really counts.

The 2008 winners are listed below; for a look back at the winners of 2007, click here.

BEST FILM

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

TOP TEN FILMS
(In alphabetical order)

BURN AFTER READING

CHANGELING

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

DEFIANCE

FROST/NIXON

GRAN TORINO

MILK

WALL-E

THE WRESTLER

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

MONGOL

TOP FIVE FOREIGN FILMS
(In alphabetical order)

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

ROMAN DE GARE

A SECRET

WALTZ WITH BASHIR

BEST DOCUMENTARY

MAN ON WIRE

TOP FIVE DOCUMENTARIES
(In alphabetical order)

AMERICAN TEEN

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)

DEAR ZACHARY

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED


TOP INDEPENDENT FILMS
(In alphabetical order)

FROZEN RIVER

IN BRUGES

IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS

MR. FOE

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

SNOW ANGELS

SON OF RAMBOW

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

THE VISITOR

WENDY AND LUCY

BEST ACTOR

CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

BEST ACTRESS

ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

JOSH BROLIN, Milk

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

DOUBT

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

BEST DIRECTOR

DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

SPOTLIGHT AWARD

MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

WALL-E

WILLIAM K. EVERSON AWARD FOR FILM HISTORY

MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression

TRUMBO

OUCH! ALL OF THESE FILMS FAILED TO BE NAMED A BEST FILM, BEST INDEPENDENT FILM OR TOP FOREIGN FILM

AUSTRALIA

CADILLAC RECORDS

CHE

A CHRISTMAS TALE

THE CLASS

DOUBT

IRON MAN

I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG

PARANOID PARK

THE READER

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

TELL NO ONE

VALKYRIE

W.