'Slumdog Millionaire' gets pre-Oscars award

December 05, 2008 11:28:45 AM

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"Slumdog Millionaire" won Oscars momentum Thursday with a best film award in New York from the National Board of Review.

Director Danny Boyle's movie about a Mumbai street kid turned game-show champion won best film of the year prize at the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures -- often seen as an indicator to the Academy Awards in February.

Clint Eastwood won best actor award for his role as a racist Korean War veteran in "Gran Torino," which he also directed. The film won the prize for best original screenplay.

Best actress went to Anne Hathaway, who plays a rehab patient in "Rachel Getting Married."

Supporting actor awards were won by Josh Brolin in gays rights drama "Milk" and Penelope Cruz in Woody Allen's comedy "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

David Fincher won best director prize for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

The National Board of Review's list of top 10 films for 2008 was: "Burn after reading," "Changeling," "The Curious case of Benjamin Button," "The dark knight," "Defiance," "Frost/Nixon," "Gran Torino," "Milk," "Wall-E," and "The Wrestler."