Michael Haneke's 'Amour' Tops London Critics' Circle Awards

12:30 PM PST 1/20/2013 by Stuart Kemp

63
49
3
0
0
Email
Print
Comments

Haneke's drama wins film of the year and best screenwriter nod, but Ang Lee takes home the best director award for "Life of Pi."

LONDON -- Michael Haneke's Amour was the big winner at the annual London Critics' Circle Awards on Sunday, winning the film of the year honor and the screenwriter plaudit for Haneke.

Haneke's 'Amour' Scores Rare Oscar Best Picture/Foreign Language Double

Todd McCarthy's 10 Best Movies of 2012

The Making of 'Amour': Michael Haneke's Personal, Painful Drama About the End of Life

PHOTOS: The Making of Michael Haneke's 'Amour'

But Haneke missed out on the awards' best director nod. That prize went to Ang Lee for Life of Pi.

Haneke's Palme d'Or winner Amour, which is also one of nine best picture Oscar nominees, also saw Emmanuelle Riva awarded the best actress trophy.

Riva beat Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone), Helen Hunt (The Sessions) and Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) to the podium.

Despite the film's Jean-Louis Trintignant presenting a strong tilt at the London Critics' Circle film award for best actor, it was Joaquin Phoenix who emerged with the honor, ahead of other contenders Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) and Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt).

Philip Seymour Hoffman's turn in The Master won him the best supporting actor award at the 33rd LCCFA, and Anne Hathaway secured the best supporting actress plaudit for her turn in Les Miserables.

Hoffman beat out Alan Arkin (Argo), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Michael Fassbender (Prometheus) and Javier Bardem (Skyfall).

Hathaway's competition was Amour's Isabelle Huppert, Sally Field (Lincoln), Amy Adams (The Master) and Judi Dench (Skyfall).

STORY: Haneke's 'Amour' Scores Rare Oscar Best Picture/Foreign Language Double

The awards also offer specifically British categories, mirroring the British Academy Film Awards presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, with Toby Jones emerging with the British actor win for his outing in Berberian Sound Studio, which also won the best British film plaudit.

Best British actress was deemed by LCCFA voters to be Andrea Riseborough for her role in Shadow Dancer.

The London Film Critics' Circle comprises more than 120 members of U.K. film critics, broadcasters and writers, who this year voted for more than 200 titles on their nominations ballots.

The awards were handed out at the May Fair Hotel in central London.

The winners in full:

The Sky Movies Award: FILM OF THE YEAR

Amour (Artificial Eye)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Rust and Bone (StudioCanal)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
The Imposter (Picturehouse/Revolver)

The Attenborough Award: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR - presented by The May Fair Hotel

Berberian Sound Studio (Artificial Eye)

The Spotlight Award: ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Joaquin Phoenix – The Master (Entertainment)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Emmanuelle Riva – Amour (Artificial Eye)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master (Entertainment)