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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 10 January 2020
Pitt, Sandler and ‘The Irishman’ celebrated at NBR Awards

By Jake Coyle while the audience roared.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Na- “We’ll see.”
tional Board of Review The awards belonged
toasted Martin Scorsese’s equally to Sandler, whose
“The Irishman” as the year’s performance in Josh and
best film in an awards cer- Benny Safdie’s “Uncut
emony Wednesday night Gems” has been one of
that included Brad Pitt the most celebrated of his
crediting Bradley Cooper career. His praises were
for his sobriety, Timothee sung from the stage by
Chalamet extolling the vir- the Safdies (best screen-
tues of the Safdie broth- play winners, with Ronald
ers and best-actor winner Bronstein), presenter Drew
Adam Sandler playfully Barrymore and even best
taunting Robert De Niro supporting actress winner
with his award. Kathy Bates (“Richard Jew-
Coming on the heels of ell”).
Sunday’s Golden Globes Unlike some of the other
and Tuesday’s New York winners, Bates hasn’t been
Film Critics Circle Awards, a mainstay on the awards
the National Board of Re- circuit. The 71-year-old ac-
view assembled many of tress, a three-time Oscar
the regulars of this year’s nominee and winner in 1991
awards season in the an- Benny Safdie, left, Adam Sandler and Josh Safdie attend the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for “Misery,” said she didn’t
nual, untelevised gala din- at TAO Downtown on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, in New York. know if this might be her
ner at Cipriani’s 42nd Street Associated Press last such honor. She took
in midtown Manhattan. The the moment to reflect on
quick succession of the cer- But because the NBR has a rich but painful history night’s best lines. Holding some of her fondest mem-
emonies, which this year Awards (which earlier an- with Quentin Tarantino, in- his trophy, he said he was ories and to tenderly thank
are especially compressed, nounced its winners ) are troduced the “Once Upon pleased to be leaving “car- her long passed mother.
can give the NBR Awards a a frothy but unsubstantial a Time ... in Hollywood” film- rying something other than Bates even recalled 1998’s
discombobulating feeling stop between honors, they maker as the most impact- George Clooney.” And, as “Water Boy,” in which she
of deja vu. can be memorable for their ful person in her life, beside he has throughout the ac- played Sandler’s mother.
“What’s so meaningful is less-rehearsed, more exple- her parents and children. claimed release of Taranti- “Where’s Sandler?” said
that since Sunday, I’ve seen tive-ridden acceptance And Cooper presented Pitt no’s “Once Upon a Time ... Bates peering out from the
Scorsese, Tarantino and the speeches and star-studded with his best-supporting ac- in Hollywood,” Pitt exuded stage. “Bobby Boucher!
Safdie brothers three days presenter-winner pairings. tor award. the relaxed charisma of a Congrats, son.”
in a row and that will never Bruce Springsteen passion- “I got sober because of this contented movie star. When Sandler’s turn came,
happen again in my life,” ately introduced the “icon guy,” said Pitt taking the “My goals in life are pretty he got the stage and
cheerfully joked Bong Joon award” winners, Scorsese, stage. “And every day has simple right now: Be hap- looked down at the nearby
Ho, the “Parasite” director, De Niro, and Al Pacino as been happier ever since.” py, stay healthy and not star of “The Irishman.”
accepting his umpteenth “the fulfilled prophecy of Pitt, who like Bong is by now get into a financial situa- “I know De Niro’s nervous
award for best foreign lan- a nation forged by immi- entrenched as an Oscar fa- tion where I have to do around me now,” Sandler
guage film. grants.” Uma Thurman, who vorite, supplied some of the ‘Ocean’s 14,’” said Pitt joked. q

Cardi B's pledge to seek Nigerian citizenship sparks rivalry

SAM OLUKOYA tweeted. to weigh in on whether her
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Car- Many in West Africa saw Nigerian name should be
di B's announcement that her tweet as proof that she CHIOMA B or Cadijat.
she wants to seek Nigerian preferred Nigeria Cardi B, who was born Bel-
citizenship has set off a Twit- Ghanaians were quick to calis Almanzar, is of Afro-
ter feud between her West point out the pitfalls of living Caribbean descent, trac-
African fans in friendly rivals in Africa's most populous ing her roots to Trinidad and
Nigeria and Ghana. nation, where traffic jams the Dominican Republic.
The Grammy-winning rap- and power cuts are more It was not immediately
per visited both countries visible than opulent night- clear how the rapper might
last month on her African clubs and luxury hotels. acquire citizenship in Ni-
tour. "Hope you have a genera- geria, though a number of
Her announcement in a tor to power your house celebrities have recently
tweet on Friday criticized (because) they don't have been given honorary citi-
the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that light but we do," one user zenship in other African
killed Iranian commander tweeted, adding an emoti- countries.
Qassem Soleimani and sent con of a Ghana flag. British actor Idris Elba now
Middle East tensions soar- Some fans in Ghana ex- In this Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 file photo, Singer Cardi B poses for has a passport from Sierra
photographers as she arrives for the Chanel Ready To Wear
ing. pressed concern for her Spring-Summer 2020 collection in Paris, France. Leone, his late father's birth-
"Its sad this man is putting safety, warning about the Associated Press place. And fellow rapper
Americans live in danger. Nigeria-based Islamic ex- Ludacris recently acquired
Dumbest move Trump did tremist group Boko Haram. exchange, underscoring star would prefer Nigeria to citizenship in Gabon after
till date ... I'm filing for my But most Nigerian fans were the mix of pride and con- America. marrying a woman from the
Nigerian citizenship," she quick to offer up a passport fusion that the 27-year-old This week she asked fans Central African nation.q