Here are my predictions for the National Board of Review Top Ten:
(no particular order like they do it).

Babel
Dreamgirls
The Departed
Flags of Our Fathers
The Queen
Little Miss Sunshine
The Pursuit of Happyness
Little Children
A Prairie Home Companion
Bobby

I think in the end, "Flags" will still get in instead of "Letters From Iwo Jima". Robert Altman's sudden demise will help propel his film back into the top ten. "Pursuit" is seeing a late surge. The rest are obvious choices. "The Good German" or "Marie Antoinette" may sneak in, but I'm sticking with those ten. I predict "The Departed" for top honors but that's anyone's guess. Anyone else have preditions?

Best Actor
Peter O'Toole, Venus

Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
Adam Beach, Flags of our Fathers

Best Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen

Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actor
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actress
Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration (while Jennifer Hudson is perfect in her role, one award is perfectly okay)

Best Director
Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Best Debut Director
Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Screenplay - Original
Michael Ardnt, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Screenplay - Adapted
Tom Perrotta & Todd Field, Little Children

Best Picture
Dreamgirls

Best Acting by an Ensemble
Little Miss Sunshine - Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail
Breslin, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin

Best Animated Feature Film
Cars

Best Documentary
An Inconvienent Truth

Best Foreign Language Film
Volver

Best TV Movie or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV
Elizabeth I

They announcement by the MBR is due any minute. I'm getting my predictions in just under the wire. Like the rat, I'm going to just go for the top ten films:

Dreamgirls
Flags of Our Fathers
The Departed
The Queen
Babel
Thank You For Smoking
The Good German
Little Miss Sunshine
Bobby
United 93

Maybe "World Trade Center" instead of United 93 (or maybe both). Since the entire NBR are New Yorkers, these have a better chance than with AMPAS. I agree with "Flags" over "Letters From Iwo Jima", and I think the first five above and all but locks.