Clint Eastwood‘s Letters From Iwo Jima has won the National Board of Review’s Best Picture of 2006 trophy, which comes as a surprise. Not a whopping one — this is a very good and moving film — but it nonetheless knocked me for a loop when I read it a few minutes ago. The NBR’s Top Ten pics are Letters, Babel, Blood Diamond, The Departed, The Devil Wears Prada, Flags Of Our Fathers, The History Boys, Little Miss Sunshine, Notes on a Scandal and The Painted Veil.

Letters From Iwo Jima

The NRG’s Best Director prize went to Martin Scorsese for The Departed. Forest Whitaker won the Best Actor prize for his General Idi Amin perf in The Last King of Scotland. Helen Mirren won Best Actress for her acting in The Queen. Djimon Honsou won Best Supporting Actor for his acting in Blood Diamond…a joke! For Your Consideration‘s Catherine O’Hara won for Best Supporting Actress.