'Slumdog' wins top critics' group prize

NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Board of Review has announced Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" as its choice for best film of 2008.

The movie's star Dev Patel won for breakthrough performance by an actor.

The critics' group named "Mongol" the year's best foreign-language film and "Man on Wire" best documentary.

Clint Eastwood -- who directed two films on the group's top 10 list, "Changeling" and "Gran Torino" -- won the award for best actor for "Gran Torino," Anne Hathaway the prize for best actress for "Rachel Getting Married," Josh Brolin the best supporting actor honor for "Milk" and Penelope Cruz the best supporting actress prize for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

David Fincher earned the best director honor for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Courtney Hunt the best directorial debut prize for "Frozen River."

The board's top 10 movies of the year, in alphabetical order, are: "Burn After Reading," "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Defiance," "Frost/Nixon," "Gran Torino," "Milk," "Wall-E" and "The Wrestler."

The NBR top 10 independent films are: "Frozen River," "In Bruges," "In Search of a Midnight Kiss," "Mr. Foe," "Rachel Getting Married," "Snow Angels," "Son of Rambow," "Wendy and Lucy," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "The Visitor."